The Place In Between
by Dorobou
Summary: The team tries to figure out their new roles in life after the end of their adventures as spirit detectives. Old goals, recurring habits, and new changes often keep the group apart. At least they have that one constant place in their lives, always bringing them back home together. [Multi-chapter; Yu Yu Hakusho Ensemble; Pairings: KuraBo, YuuKei, KuwaYuki]
1. Chapter 1

_The last time I wrote for YYH was when I was 13. I finished re-watching the series again and wanted to relive the past by writing this little old thing._

_This story is meant to relatively follow the canon ending of the anime- with obvious changes, expansion on some details, and an interweaving of some canon ending elements of the manga._

_Thank you for taking the time to read._

_Standard disclaimers apply._

* * *

Botan was not used to the peaceful, transitional periods. These periods are usually characterized by its ambiguous nature and further exemplified the unforeseen future. During her time as the liaison between the spirit detectives and spirit world, series after series of events propelled the team to constantly being on their feet and on the go to the next unsolved case. So after Yusuke tendered his resignation as a spirit detective, Botan found herself in more of a new problem rather than a welcome ending.

Yusuke had noticed this one month after his return to the human world. He had taken to lying on the porch after holding extensive training with both Kuwabara and the still spry Genkai. The warming rays danced on his aching muscles, goading him into a nap that could last hours until the chilling air of evening started tickling his relaxed body. Usually, that would be the case, but the day he noticed the fretful ferry girl was when he was awakened by dull footsteps against the hardwood porch he slept upon.

These footsteps echoed loudly and then would fade off as it went further away. Then immediately soon after he would hear the pounding drums close in again, and soon after that, it would fade again until the heavy chirping of insects masked its drumming.

He opened one eye as soon as he heard the footsteps hop up into the porch again. Still too sore and lazy to start a shouting match, Yusuke listened thoughtfully to the footsteps closing into his lying form.

Familiar pink cloth swayed into his view when the culprit passed by. In that split second of realization, Yusuke's hand shot out to her ankle. A cry of surprise from above, but quick reflexes helped the ferry girl to shoot out the other leg before her whole body lurched to the floor in one fell swoop.

"Yusuke, you jerk! Was that really necessary?" Botan cried out. In a huff, she wiggled her foot out of his grasp and stamped it right in front of his face as an act of retaliation.

"Your mouth is already loud enough as it is," Yusuke replied in an equally exasperated expression. He shot up from his prone position on the floor and started stretching his legs in a runner's lunge to prep him for the oncoming barrage of chastising from an incensed blue haired girl.

While able to go through the motions of each stretching exercise, he started to realize that she was not even paying attention anymore. After releasing a satisfied groan while grabbing the side of his head and pulling it the opposite way, Yusuke dipped his head a little and watched as his companion took a seat on the porch with her feet dangling over the edges.

"It's been a month already," she mentioned, almost too quietly.

The buzz of the cicadas settled into the comfortable silence before Yusuke found his voice. With careful consideration of her attitude, he threw his hands behind his head and said, "Weird, huh? Been awfully quiet around here lately."

"That's right, especially after the time you took after the demon world tournament to help everyone transition into the rules that Enki had set."

"Do I hear disappointment in your voice, Botan?"

She scoffed immediately, "Don't be silly. The work you have done so far has done wonders, for sure."

"But..."

Botan tapped her chin. She furtively shot him a suspicious glance but was met with attentive eyes that couldn't miss a thing. In her time knowing Yusuke Urameshi, all her frantic worries and her fed up exasperations were usually met with an aggravated groan. But this time, Botan noticed the subtle change when she met his concerned gaze quickly before looking away ashamed.

Botan was not used to the transitional periods. She's also definitely not used to the more mature nature that Yusuke has started to develop during this time.

She sighed quite loudly to indicate her initial reluctance before proceeding, "But... I do miss giving assignments to our team sometimes. It seems to grow more few and far between now that a lot of the demon world affairs have been settled. I guess I started to like that aspect of my job, especially as a break between all the ferrying that must be done. Even though much of the cases could have nearly spelled doom for all of us, there were some interesting-"

A burst of loud laughter echoed in the compound. Such an act rattled the blue haired girl, enough so to the point of silence. She looked over at him again and inhaled deeply, readying her breath for a spirited reprimand at the former detective.

"Before you start acting up again," Yusuke managed to muster between laughs, "Why can't you just say you miss all of us?" He then let out a few more laughs before adding, "All of us together."

While not an entirely unexpected statement, the individual revealing her true sentiments seemed to be the most surprising part. Instead of honoring him with an affirmation, Botan instead responded with a small smile and a stretch of silence. She was known to be quite the chatterbox, but she typically thrived in that aspect when it was related to work. When it came to matters of the heart, Botan had always wafted carefully into the unknown waters of her feelings. Especially when it came to the very rare moments with the often brash and aggressive spirit detective.

"Never knew you to be the sentimental one here," Botan replied in a mocking manner. Yusuke gave her a wide smile when he heard a hint of sincerity in her voice.

"Hey, I'm not the one saying I miss everyone. I'm just saying what you were _trying _to say."

"Admit it! You do miss it!" Botan immediately cried out with happiness and attempted to jab him in the abdomen.

"Never. Should I miss you nagging me for new missions? Or when Kuwabara rattles on endlessly about Yukina and I have to make sure Hiei doesn't react violently? Don't even get me started on Koenma…"

The two then joined each other in laughter as they started to reminisce about their past missions with each other. Each story passed by quickly, sometimes ending with Botan clunking Yusuke on the head for starting to get perverted or erupting into more laughter after discussing an embarrassing story.

The sound of laughter doubled as soon as Keiko and Yukina joined the conversation after hearing the commotion upon entering the main household. Both were previously away assisting Genkai with a small errand on her vast compound.

As the night drew on with stories being exchanged with everyone, most of the commotion started centering around Yusuke and Keiko. With an easy slip of the mouth on Yusuke's end, the couple engaged in the usual shouting match that was typical of them in past years. But ever since the return of Yusuke and the much anticipated romantic union between the two, their arguments became more light-hearted in nature, less combative, and very open. Before, much of the argument came out of insecurity with how they were proceeding into their relationship. Now, they bicker in the knowing contentment of lasting love between them.

Botan, no longer worried about moderating between the two, decided to say her goodbyes and head back to the spirit world. Of the many things that were changing, she did not mind the deepening relationship between Yusuke and Keiko.

* * *

Four months passed and Botan was finally able to make it back to the Genkai compound. While it was the usual stream of souls needing to be taken to the spirit world, it was Koenma's insistence on taking newer responsibilities that made her busier. She had taken the news a little harshly at first, but she also had no real reason to reject it either.

Botan hovered over the compound for a bit before making her appearance. Her ears had picked up the distinct sound of shouting and grunting. The welcome sounds startled her in a delightful way when she realized that those sounds could only be of young men shouting in unison while training. Quickly, she shot down to the grounds in order to find out more.

Upon entering the main building, she was greeted by Yukina who held a more exciting temperament today.

"This is a pleasant surprise, Botan. I'm glad to see you today," the young ice apparition greeted with a welcoming hug. "What brings you down to the human world today?"

The ferry girl returned the hug quite fiercely. Spotting an older woman approaching from behind Yukina, Botan swiftly swooped in to give a stoic Genkai a quick hug before explaining her arrival.

"I have some free time to spare, so I wanted to come and check in on everyone today. Although I do admit, there is news I'm supposed to bring from Koenma," Botan explained. She then craned her neck to the side to peer out into the tea room in order to see if anyone else was here. Then she started moving over to the porch with Genkai and Yukina following after. "Although I must know, what's happening today? Are all the boys here?"

"No, just Kuwabara," Genkai replied. The old woman picked up her pace and started leading the two girls over to her training grounds. "I think to know of the news that you are bringing today, so I've made arrangements with a few people you might remember."

Botan, while slightly disappointed about not seeing her favorites today, perked up at Genkai's announcement. As usual, Genkai was also prepared and rolling plans in motion even in her old age. Botan was glad that this was something unchanged.

As the three women approached the training grounds, a familiar orange-headed man immediately came bounding in upon the sight of his beloved.

"Yukina! Where have you been? You've been gone for too long! I was just able to teach these losers some awesome moves. You should have seen the way I was handling them! Aw man… maybe we can do a repeat exercise for today and then you can-"

Botan cleared her throat. Kuwabara, who had lost himself in his excitement, looked over from his intimate spot next to Yukina. The ice apparition sighed in relief as the tall man straightened up and proceeded to give Botan a great big hug.

"Oh hey Botan! It's been ages since we last saw you! Why haven't you dropped down and given us a visit?"

Botan started patting Kuwabara slightly away, indicating her need for air and space. "Yes, well, we've been going through a lot of changes in the spirit world. A bit of a restructure. Anyway, I'm glad to see you have been doing well, Kuwabara."

More than well, Botan noted in her head. She observed Kuwabara already settling himself beside Yukina once more, and the ice apparition let him hover a bit closer than usual. The faint red hue that painted Yukina's delicate face while he hovered closer and closer showed the growing closeness of this pair. A new development between the two when she noticed Yukina's expression held a hint of embarrassment.

Botan was most pleased with this progress. Although a quick passing thought of a certain fire apparition with a darkening scowl made Botan a little nervous. Good thing the barrier was still intact, for now at least.

"What is this restructure you speak of, Botan?" A voice belonging to a bespectacled young man questioned.

The three boys that had been training with Kuwabara finally made their approach after basking in the rare break that had presented itself. It was Yana, Kido, and Kaito in various states of disheveled. This new revelation came to Botan as an incredible surprise.

"Hello, boys! It definitely has been a while. It's good to see you again," Botan greeted. She gave them a radiant smile, and all three appreciated her warm welcome.

"I suppose I haven't really told you what might be happening down the road- or why I have asked you three to join us again in training," Genkai spoke up, deciding to take over discussing the news that Botan was supposed to supply. "I feel the barrier between human and demon world weakening significantly. With Yusuke's involvement in the demon world, we are now met with a welcome development between the worlds."

At first, the three were hit with a shock, but Kaito quickly noted the use of Genkai's words. "Welcome development?" Kaito repeated before the other two voiced their protest. After all, they had risked a lot preventing the barrier from coming down just a few years back.

"That's right. I'm not sure what Yusuke or the others told you, but the new changes in the demon world have started to affect the spirit world as well."

Botan nodded. "Yes, this is news I wanted to bring up with everyone. Koenma and much of the spirit world have started viewing the demon and human world in a more… open way, to say the least. He wanted me to let everyone know that the barrier may come down in a week."

She was met with a range of different emotions. Kaito was lost in thought, while Yana and Kido had looked at each other with concern. Kuwabara had a puzzled look directed at Yukina who had a hopeful look light up in her eyes.

Genkai took a step forward, her hands clenched behind her back. "This means no slacking. While relations between the worlds are becoming lax, this does not mean we let our guards down. We need to make sure we have an adequate response to those in the demon world who do not like this change. Even though we may have changed the minds of many, there are still demons with dark intent."

"Then why take down the barrier?" Yana questioned, still not warming up to the idea.

"I think you may find this a step in the right direction. You would be surprised, Yana, but I have been noticing the changes," Genkai answered. Everyone noted her words came with a more softer edge than usual.

Botan liked this change, especially when she became more privy to Genkai's final intentions. The more she became comfortable with the changing nature of humans, the more she didn't mind as much anymore. Although, in the case of Genkai, her actions mostly related to laying down the foundation for her proteges so that she may make the final journey as a human.

With a hurtful pang of that realization, Botan took a deep breath and looked away. She was familiar with that feeling of acute sadness when Genkai first passed. Her next passing into the spirit world will still hurt.

The group started hearing the hard edge once again present in Genkai's voice as she continued on. "Now we must step up here in the human world to meet those rising changes. Just as demon world has patrols out for unwitting humans, we must create one ourselves."

A murmur rose between all as they tried to discuss the ramifications of what the old woman just announced.

"You know, I was about ready to finally bury that into the past," Kido spoke up. He cracked his knuckles with more excitement now lighting up his face. "But I think this is a project I don't mind being involved in. If Urameshi is also in, I don't mind taking the brunt of responsibilities for this."

Yana nodded, even more eager. Kaito was a little bit more reserved with this notion. His affairs in the human world started taking an upward turn and he was more eager to pursue that instead.

He lifted his glasses to snugly fit it on the bridge of his nose. "Perhaps if this was something I can participate in on and off, I don't mind lending a helping hand."

Genkai tapped her foot. "Yes, seems like we should discuss the terms a little bit more closely as time moves on. But I've seen you in training, Kaito, and there is a bit of excitement in your moves."

Kaito bashfully scratched the back of his neck and dipped his head a bit lower in response.

"There is one important request I would have you do before you back out of this commitment, Kaito," Genkai continued. "I believe there is a notable absence in your former classmate and our dear friend."

Botan's ear perked at the mention of a certain red-headed young man. She looked over to Kaito with keen interest.

"Well, we did finish our last semester at school a month ago, so he's more of a former classmate now. Kurama apparently started taking up some college classes last I heard."

Genkai frowned. "I'm interested in knowing why you are able to make plans to visit us and we have not seen him since the day Yusuke returned from the demon world."

"That's five months now," Botan murmured as she rubbed her chin.

"Yusuke and I visited him a few weeks back trying to convince him to visit more often," Kuwabara chimed in. He shrugged his shoulders and shook his head to show their attempts were not successful.

"Kurama only made a brief mention of what was going on in the demon world after he came back. I do remember him mentioning that he was going to focus more on his studies and his family for now. But you know him, he only reveals as much as he wants us to know," Kaito sighed, recalling his few attempts at befriending the fox spirit.

"We would like to see him sometime, Kaito, if you can tell him that. All of his friends are quite concerned," Yukina spoke up. She has had many conversations between the group about their disappointment in his disappearance. Notably, Yukina looked over at Botan who pinked slightly at being acknowledged.

"I could try…" Kaito supplied, but he trailed off at the monumental task when he started thinking about how Kurama could be.

Before anyone could make another appeal to Kaito, Genkai started waving off all four of the boys. "Enough talk of this for today. We will make plans before you head off, Kaito. Now follow me. I plan to tire you all out with endurance training before the end of the day!"

Kuwabara, Yana, Kido, and Kaito straightened their backs at the new urgent and commanding tone that Genkai adopted. Kuwabara quickly squeezed Yukina's shoulder before hustling back with the group to the training grounds.

The two girls passed each other a meaningful look before making their way back to Genkai's main building. They fell in lockstep with each other, enjoying the more quiet environment, before Yukina finally made her thoughts clear to the taller woman.

"When the barrier comes down, I wish to look for my brother still," Yukina mentioned with that hopeful look again appearing on her face. "I have a feeling Hiei might have found out something about it, so having Kurama come back and help us find him would be quite nice."

Botan, while appreciating her eagerness to continue her search, patted Yukina's shoulder in a comforting manner. "If I know anything about Hiei, it would take him no time to come back to Genkai's once the barrier comes down."

Yukina raised her eyebrow in surprise. Botan laughed nervously and immediately changed the topic, "It would be nice, though, to have Kurama around again. He was always the more reliable one in my opinion."

Yukina nodded. "Perhaps you can try to convince him to come around more."

A deeper shade of red rested on Botan's face with the idea of making a visit alone to the fox spirit's human home. She laughed again, and Yukina's smile widened. This was usually the ferry girl's response when she became nervous.

"I'm sure Kurama is also very busy. I couldn't possibly make an appearance and be the one to pester him!"

"That never stopped you when it came to Yusuke," Yukina suggested.

"Oh, Yukina!" Botan cried out. "My how perceptive you've grown! Isn't that a conundrum, huh?"

She patted Yukina's shoulder, hurrying the ice apparition into the courtyard area of the main building. Yukina let the taller woman frantically guide her along, thus further making the smile on her face wider. This was not an isolated act. Every time they started discussing the red-headed young man, Botan made sure to quickly pass over the conversation.

"Now that I have delivered the news, I should be going now. Please take care to make sure the boys get this piece of information. What with the barrier coming down soon, I'm sure there will be some cases to look out for in the near future!"

Yukina noticed the particular glint in her eyes at the last statement. She always wondered why some people would be eager for the next step in a time of quiet and peace.

With Genkai, Yukina could understand her urgency in completing certain projects before she leaves this world. With Botan, she felt an air of unfinished business always following her. However, while Genkai knew her plans, Botan didn't know half of them and when to start or how to start them.

She was a boundless energy of ball moving forward at a fast pace. Yukina always admired this about her friend, even though it would sometimes lend to some scatterbrained episodes.

_'Perhaps scatterbrained, but at least she's always thinking. Always trying to understand with excitement each and every time,' _Yukina recalled Kurama once saying when Hiei made a scornful remark about Botan.

"Do come visit us soon, Botan," the ice apparition called out when she saw the ferry girl materialize her oar and hop on. Botan floated over and squeezed Yukina's hand in response, but made no promises.

* * *

Five more months passed by before Botan was able to head down to Genkai's compound. Even though the barrier came down, no further cases presented itself to the spirit world team. Or perhaps Koenma was adamant in keeping Yusuke free from the ties of being a spirit detective. As such, Koenma deemed it necessary to pile even more hard work on her plate and restrict the number of visits to the human world. He had told her that the spirit world was still going through a big period of change that required more managerial and admin tasks rather than the usual fieldwork she engaged in.

When Botan had the confidence to question it, Koenma offered her a dismissive response, "Well, there are small pockets of activity, but nothing worth gathering the team over, to be frank. Besides, with the demon world patrol and now this human world patrol forming, the small problems that have been occurring are usually rectified in a few days!"

He noticed the somewhat pensive face that his head ferry girl had adopted. "I know! Imagine my surprise! While it proves to be more useful and liberating by the day, it still presents a whole new host of problems that we haven't accounted for. The paperwork has definitely piled up!"

Botan didn't maintain the same concerns that her boss did when he started to groan and ache about the new changes to everything. Instead of contemplating further about those thoughts, she asked Koenma to at last give a reprieve and let her visit everyone in the human world for a day.

With her request approved, she made plans to visit the Genkai compound. Maybe this will be the day when the whole group was gathered. Her small hopes were dashed, however, upon entering the main building and finding the last individual she expected to come across.

"Hiei," Botan acknowledged with slight trepidation.

"Hn," he replied.

Hiei had been sitting in the corner of the tea room alone. He was enjoying the peace of being back in the human world. While the demands of demon world were something Hiei had always enjoyed, he did not expect a feeling of relief passing over him when he lowered his body to the tatami floor mat and looked out to the pristine nature that Genkai kept as company. A more appreciative feeling started washing over him when Yukina had brought in tea and sat down with him in silence.

But at present, it was just him enjoying the quiet peace when Yukina got up momentarily to go check on the former spirit detective, who was assisting Genkai with tasks around the compound. At least, it was quiet peace until a certain "scatterbrain" made her appearance.

"Is anyone else here today?" Botan decided to push her luck by querying further.

"The detective and Yukina," he replied curtly. Botan noticed he maintained his nickname for Yusuke even after his official resignation. This brought a smile to her face.

An uncomfortable silence then settled between them for a minute. Botan had frozen in place, thinking any more movement would make the darkening look on Hiei's face turn into full spite.

"Are you just going to stand there and annoy me, ferry girl? Or can you do me a favor and move on?" Hiei finally spoke in a scathing tone.

"Right you are, Hiei!" Botan nervously laughed. "Good to see you again, it looks like you are doing well." And with that, she moved to exit the tea room and quickly find Yukina, Yusuke, and Genkai. She took about three steps forward before his voice dropped a deep, intimidating command.

"Hold."

Botan froze in place again, as if there were magic to his words commanding her every movement.

"It's not really my business," Hiei started, then paused as if the next spoken word pained him, "...but I _must _ask how you've been." He was not looking at her at this time, and the tone sounded more demanding rather than inquisitive.

Her first initial reaction was of complete surprise, and then it immediately turned into suspicion. Of the time she has known this fire apparition, he has always remained quiet and disaffected by the group. To this day, Botan can never expect anything else besides a sneer and a fast exit if he truly did not tolerate the human or spirit trying to engage in friendly conversation from him. But as with most changes that have been happening around her, this one hit hard and fast. Or perhaps she was not giving him a fair chance in being the friendly type.

"Considering all the things that have happened so far, I'm… okay," she managed to muster under his critical gaze. "The spirit world has been rather hectic so far, so I have not had the opportunity to take a break. What with Koenma-"

"Enough. I did not ask for a novel," Hiei interrupted. He got to his feet and started walking away from the ferry girl instead of waiting for her to show herself out. Botan was laughing quite nervously at this point but quieted as soon as she saw a pause in his step.

"I'll be going to demon world. I'll come by again," he provided when he tilted his neck over to look at her. With a slight nod of his head, Hiei disappeared into the air, effortlessly and soundlessly moving through the trees, intending to meeting a certain red-headed young man.

The whole conversation lasted around five minutes. Four minutes more than what she is typically used to. Four minutes more of discomfort with the fire apparition than she would have liked to experience. She inhaled deeply, put her hands on her hips, and blew into her wispy bangs. "I think that went quite well," she said to no one in particular.

As she walked out into the hallway, Botan started laughing at herself when the thought of that encounter with him seemed almost… fun. Hiei may not be the best sort of company, but she is starting to get used to the fire apparition's personality.

"Sorry! I was going to come and greet you sooner but I wanted to finish some errands first. Yusuke and Genkai are in the study just down the hall, " Yukina called out from the opposite end of the hallway. She finally made her appearance by scurrying over to meet the ferry girl but slowed when she noticed Botan's mirthful laughs. "Is something funny? Did I do something wrong?"

The two met in the middle, and at that point, Botan had stifled her laughs when she saw her friend's worried and confused looks. "No worries, Yukina. I just ran into Hiei, is all."

Yukina lightened up at the mention of his name. "Oh yes, Hiei has been here for a few days already. You were right about him finding us before we do."

Botan regarded the ice apparition warmly. She wanted to explain the reasons why, but Hiei would probably appear in spirit world himself ready to take the ferry girl to her grave. Although, Botan sometimes wondered if Yukina had a slight inclination to the matter because the ice apparition would always speak of him fondly and with eagerness in her voice.

"Well, he left now. He said he's going back to demon world, but he would come again soon," Botan decided to inform her. She tapped her chin rather as she thought more about what she had stated. "Originally I thought it was weird for him to sort of say goodbye to me, but now I think I know the reason why..." she mentioned, and then trailed off as she met her friend's curious eyes. When Botan didn't further pursue the thought, Yukina took the opportunity to relieve the ferry girl's insecurities about the fire apparition.

"When Hiei first arrived at Genkai's, the first thing he did was give this to me," Yukina started as she fingered the warm, red shawl over her kimono. "It's going to be cold soon in human world, he had said to me. He also mentioned it was from ice world so he figured that I would find more use for it than he would. I asked him if he went there, maybe to find my brother. He scoffed at me, though, and said he found it on some dead corpses of ice apparitions while traveling across demon world."

Botan paused and looked at Yukina before entering the next room that contained both Genkai and Yusuke pouring over a stack of papers. Her face took on a disgruntled and appalled look. "Well, if that works," Botan muttered, almost in a strained tone.

Yukina only laughed in response. She pulled the shawl closer over her body, knowing in her mind that Hiei didn't want to tell her the truth on how he attained the item and why he would give it to her.

"Ahhhhhh, good! Heya Botan! I needed a distraction from all this legal bullshit," Yusuke cried out as soon as he saw Botan and Yukina enter the room. "Who knew inheriting a temple on a huge piece of land could be so complicated! All this lawyer speak- drives me nuts. I bet if we could get Kurama back in here he could help clear this up in a matter of hours."

At the sudden mention of the fox spirit's name, Botan tilted her head to the side in concern and quickly asked, "He still hasn't come around?"

Genkai, Yusuke, and Yukina all passed each other looks. Botan's concern grew when she noticed all three had quieted. "What's wrong," she ventured, insistent on finally finding out what was happening with him.

"The last I saw him was two months back. I passed by his house. Not only did he quit college within one month, but he also quit working under his step-father after spending just a few months there as well. He mentioned he would be gone for a few months," Yusuke said and scoffed at his last statement. "And as it turns out, Hiei just told us he saw him in demon world not too long ago!"

Botan gasped, her heart almost leaping out of her throat. "Is he okay? I remember Kaito saying he wanted to focus on being in human world for a while. Oh, I knew I should have visited him."

"Hold on, hold on, don't worry so much," Yusuke quickly interrupted, holding his hand out to stop her further fears. He had a smirk tugging at his lips when he noticed her worried and pained eyes.

"Yes, Botan, there is no need to worry. Although Hiei did not mention too much, he did say that he was in demon world to explore a bit. No mention of any demons blackmailing him to come back or even a reversal back into his old ways," Genkai spoke up before Yusuke, preventing him from further agitating the blue-haired girl by teasing her feelings. "I would have liked to find out what he was doing there, however. As usual, Hiei only delivered the news of Kurama's whereabouts and declined to further comment about anything else."

"That's… a relief then," Botan managed to reply. She slowly made her way over to an empty seat next to the pair and plopped down when she felt her knees go a bit weak. While she retained a more concerned expression, Yusuke's smirk cemented itself on his face. Genkai's sharp looks his way made him restrain the barrage of comments he wanted to hurl at the ferry girl.

The pair regarded her for a moment longer, surprised by the loss of words she was experiencing at this time. With a fist to her young apprentice's head, Genkai further prevented Yusuke's mouth from exploding into fits of laughter or accusations. The old woman quickly shoved papers his way after he recovered from the blow to maintain his focus on the task at hand.

Yukina entered the room again after having excused herself at the beginning of the conversation to prepare more tea for their prized visitor. Unaware of what just transpired, she set down the tea set and hummed softly as she prepared tea. The group fell into a more comfortable silence as soon as the sound of steaming water poured from the teapot into each cup.

"Here, I hope you enjoy this. I was saving this one specifically for when you came around," Yukina gently said as she handed the cup over. Botan welcomed the warmth into her trembling hands. The heat soon soothed her fretful thoughts and the scent she caught brought her back into a peaceful state of mind. Inhaling deeply, Botan caught a few notes of a fruity lychee flavor with an undertone of wild red rose petals.

* * *

At least two months rolled by without any major incidents. With the work in spirit world finally settling itself into a temporary lull, Botan found herself with a lighter workload. Enough so to plan another trip to the human world very soon. As such, she approached the young ruler to talk about a two-day long reprieve.

Koenma acquiesced to her request easily. Mostly due to her restless nature and incessant questions she would lob at him daily. Of which, a lot of questions tended to pertain to the young red-headed man taking a small journey through demon world.

He had to swat her away on many past occasions when she approached him about it. She was like a pestering fly that buzzed around him. In fact, he would rather take a pestering fly, as opposed to the much more lumbering figure that would mimic the movements of one. At least one swat would be sufficient enough for its removal.

"Oh, before you go," Koenma nonchalantly called out before the deity walked out of his office. "I forgot to mention this to you a few days back when Yusuke visited. I hear Kurama got back to human world a week ago. He seems to be over at Genkai's temple every day now. Yusuke wanted to deliver the news to you, but I think you were ferrying at the time. Perhaps…"

Koenma paused and then sighed in exasperation. His room was empty and the door was left slightly ajar.

He got up and walked out into the hallway where George the blue ogre had been running in between rooms getting various errands done. The blue ogre had to pause in his work when the young ruler approached him.

George lifted a finger and pointed down the hallway. "Did you see that Lord Koenma, sir? She was like lightning, almost barrelling me over when she ran by. What did you say this time?"

Koenma sighed, but there was a crinkle of amusement that did grace his teenage face. It was a form that he had taken to utilizing more often since his responsibilities have steadily grown in the past year.

"Nothing mean, ogre," Koenma replied almost scathingly, knowing that George had implied his antagonistic ways to his head ferry girl. "I only mentioned the return of one our former detectives."

The pair looked between each other, not knowing what to exactly think yet of their head ferry girl's excitement.

Yukina, on the other hand, had a slight idea as to why a zooming figure in the sky would come barreling down into Genkai's temple. She was sweeping the front entrance when she noticed the spark in the sky and an incoming sound of a figure racing down to the ground.

Yukina squinted her eyes and looked up to watch the figure come more into view faster and faster. It was with a flash of blue and pink that eased the ice apparitions growing anticipation.

Unfortunately, Yukina's mood almost soured as the fall leaves that she had been so diligently gathering into a pile shot up into a cyclone in the air upon impact. As soon as the ferry girl slowed her advance and came to a rough stop, the leaves then scattered in a flurry and wafted gently down around them.

"Welcome back, Botan," Yukina greeted with a cheery smile, easily dismissing that initial bout of frustration. She was never one to hold any grudges.

"Sorry about that, Yukina," Botan sheepishly apologized. "Here, I can get that for you if you'd like."

As the ferry girl made a move to grab the broom, Yukina gently laid a hand to push her arm away. "Oh please, don't worry about that. The leaves aren't a big deal anyway. It's the vines that are a bit concerning- as if they have a mind of their own!"

Yukina quickly demonstrated by pushing the bristles against the winding vines on the edge of the concrete pathway. They recoiled suddenly but started to encroach ever so slowly again once the broom was out of its vicinity.

Botan's eyes lit up in awe in response. Even more so when she realized that what Koenma said was true. She met the ice apparition's gaze, which held a glowing excitement for her.

"I imagine you would like to go in. I'll speak to you later, Botan," Yukina urged. She gave the ferry girl a meaningful look before returning to combatting the overgrowth of vines.

With that, Botan quickly headed off to the main building of the temple. The familiar building seemed ordinary as usual, so she thought nothing of her surroundings until she opened the door and was met with flora and fauna of all kinds. A heavy floral scent invaded her sense of smell, almost to the point of gagging. She even had to push away a branch of heavy padded leaves that kept smacking her in the face.

Many of the walls lined up with all kinds of plants and flowers, some of which she recognized as the human world _and_ demon world varieties. She had half a mind to immediately exit the room once she spotted a specific plant of demon world that had multiple reports of its fine work done on unfortunate humans.

"Don't worry about those," Genkai said as she appeared at the entrance to greet Botan. She had so casually emerged from bushes in the other room. So casual that it looked like she has been living in the jungle all this time. "I've lined the rooms with a spirit barrier. I've made a pathway between the rooms, so make sure to follow it along."

The old woman gestured to the faint outlines of spiritual ki that would guide visitors through the house. While it did prevent the more aggressive species from overreach, the barrier was also meant to preserve and protect some plants from visitors with touchy hands.

"Hello, Genkai. Re-decorating the temple are we?" Botan greeted with a lopsided smile.

Genkai scoffed, "This is only temporary until Kurama finally sorts through all these."

Genkai then looked over her shoulder and pointed out the porch. "I'm sure you're curious about why we are doing this, but it's not my story to tell you. Follow the path down this way, and you'll find him just at the edge of the forest clearing."

With a quick bow of thanks, Botan headed through the main building that almost seemed alive with activity. Plants subtly moving behind spirit barrier and bugs that seem to have found its way through the barrier and left thrive along with its leafy friends. Botan felt a trickle of sweat slide down the side of her face. It seems the unfortunate side effect of deciding to store all the plants in the building turned it into a hot box.

Stepping off the porch and onto the gravelly path came with relief to the ferry girl as the wind gently blowing cooled her heated body tremendously. Botan followed the spirit barrier path until she noticed her redheaded friend off in the distance with a notebook in hand. He was intent on scribbling notes detailing a plan for demon world plants to thrive in the human world. She approached him almost too carefully when she realized it was not often when the two spoke alone together. It was almost nerve-wracking to start thinking about it, which surprised her considerably when she thought of the times the pair had comfortably interacted in the midst of friends.

Kurama, after finishing a thought about a particular plant species in his notebook, lifted his head up when a familiar ki approach ever so closely. He looked behind him and was greeted with a sight he had missed while gone from the group. Botan had put on a welcoming smile as she approached. A twinkle of excitement dance around in her eyes, something he had come to enjoy whenever she was around.

It was at this moment when he actually took the time to observe this young woman. She had looked slightly different from when they had first started their adventures together, but at least her sweet disposition and eager nature still remained. Her kimono had a slightly darker pink to it and the high ponytail she had on almost every day in the past now sit a little lower near the nape of her neck. The longer blue tresses lined the side of her slightly more mature face. He noted it accentuated her amethyst eyes a little more, something the usual bushiness of her high ponytail distracted from. He found himself liking the small changes.

Botan moved in closer to the redhead and pulled him into a gentle embrace. His breath hitched in his throat at the sudden gesture. He was not expecting such warmth and relief as she snaked her hands around his waist. Kurama would like to think he was a smart man- something that everyone often told him- but sometimes he had to question himself in moments like this when his mind came to a complete standstill. He quickly scrambled to place his arms around her in response but held her more loosely and tentatively.

As she slowly pulled away from the fox apparition, their eyes quickly met. Kurama, with a quick moment to really take in the petite woman in his arms, raised his eyebrows slightly and tilted his head to the side. Botan's face pinked slightly at the sudden recognition between each other. She quickly looked away, jumped back, and swiftly took a quick jab at his arms.

"You had everyone worried sick, Kurama!" She expressed with a slightly disapproving tone to her voice. Kurama noticed and quickly decided to appease her to the more gentle nature he had just witnessed.

"Sorry, Botan," he said while raising both of his hands in defense, "I didn't mean to have everyone stirred up like that. There were a lot of pressing matters I had to deal with and I didn't want anyone to worry unnecessarily." He then offered her a conciliatory smile, took a few steps forward, and stared to reach up to the back of his neck in order to quickly offer a placating present.

"Oh, put that back, Kurama. I know what you're doing, and you're not getting off that easily, " Botan persisted and put her hands on her hips.

As if caught red-handed, Kurama paused and let his hand fall to his side once more. A small, admiring smile started tugging at his lips as he looked upon the fiery woman.

"My mistake. I should not have underestimated you," Kurama said, his voice a little quieter.

Solemn green eyes held onto vivid purple ones. He remembered stealing glances her way to watch those pretty eyes always alive and dancing during the missions that Koenma would assign the team. This time, as they gazed at each other, Kurama started to get the hint that he could not get away with superficial presents or placating words in order to avoid a conversation. Her usual carefree eyes were instead perceptive and inquiring as it met his secretive gaze head-on.

"I heard you barely made any visits. Yusuke even mentioned at some point there was zero contact with the group," Botan sighed as knelt down and fingered a delicate leaf on a potted plant at her feet. "Can you imagine, Kurama, how your friends felt? I almost wanted to come to visit and drag you over myself, but I was unsure if you wanted to be bothered or not."

Botan traced around the edge of the leaf and continued when Kurama fell silent. "It must have been pretty rough for you over the past year, though. Not reaching out to any of us must have been hard," she commented.

Kurama had the tendency to predict how women usually were with him. All the human girls that would initiate contact with him would always comment on how pretty his hair was or talk about how he might look like a famous pop star that they saw on the television. For the few that managed to befriend him on a deeper level, Kurama found himself being a bit bored by their strictly human world views. School this, politics that, a cool new pop song on the radio or some other.

He did not realize how much he had missed his friends when he was absent. He also did not realize how much he had missed Botan this past year when her observation of him took hold and drilled down the defenses that he always held. This woman of spirit world always surprised him.

"This," he said and moved to kneel beside the ferry girl to take hold of the potted plant that had long, thin branches and three-pronged leaves, "is a plant of demon world. One of the more common plants, in fact. You can find them around the edges of lakes or oceans, usually near places of respite."

Kurama then laughed when he saw her stealthily move to wipe her hands against her kimono upon mention of demon world. She bunched her eyebrows up in worry.

"These are more benign than the ones you may be familiar with in your spirit reports," he continued to assuage her fears. "In fact, they're rather useful. If you feed in just a bit of energy, it will return two-fold in a calming aura that can help you replenish at a faster rate. Unfortunately, they require a bit of upkeep to maintain."

He handed her the potted plant and watched with contentment when the first thing Botan did was feed a bit of her energy into the plant. She gasped in surprise as the plant let out puffs of energy over the next few seconds. The haze hovered over her body in a tingling sensation.

"That's… a surprisingly delightful little thing from demon world," she commented with the twinkle of excitement in her eyes. Kurama drew closer to his friend when he saw the same light return to her inviting eyes. He relaxed his body, becoming more comfortable in her presence.

"I figured it would be a nice addition to Genkai's when I went to travel around in demon world," he said and then plopped down into a seated position. "I thought I knew everything there was about demon world and its host of plants, but going on that trip really helped open my eyes a bit."

Botan followed suit and leaned back to sit on the ground. "Did you go over there to find a new home?"

Kurama looked over at her. She was always forward and open. "At first that was the plan. After the demon world tournament, I thought I knew what I wanted to do: become more human and forsake my other side. But after months of trying, the unrest and longing never abated. So I went."

Botan, with the potted plant still in hand, fed more energy to revel in the healing sensation of this plant. She fell into quiet thought to consider her companion. Although he hid it well, Kurama was just like any other individual struggling with his identity and finding his place between two worlds.

"It's hard to choose, isn't it? Sometimes, I think often about running away from spirit world. Going here... it's something silly I know, but it just feels right sometimes."

Puffs of spirit energy filled the air. It surrounded the pair who had now started focusing heavily on the plant before them. The male companion keenly aware of his partner but choosing to hide it, and the female trying her best to remain distracted from him.

Kurama knew he couldn't choose. He tried and failed. Those restless nights underneath a pale white glow of his study lamp didn't further ingratiate his love of human world. Constantly looking over his back in case demons wanted to make a meal of him didn't help his love of demon world either.

It was the place in between- Genkai's temple- that finally affirmed his suspicions of who or what he was becoming.

Even though the picture was not yet clear, his time clearing the landscape with Yusuke and Hiei over the past week helped hint towards a more tangible realization of his future goals.

Even though he may not have all the answers now, speaking with Genkai and trying to appease her incensed reaction towards his disappearance helped get him closer to the next step in finding out more solutions.

Even though he may have a great family in human world that will always accept his human form, being next to this bright and welcoming girl and his troop of friends brought him closer to feeling at home as both Shuichi Minamino and Youko Kurama.

"I have a feeling we don't have to decide right now, Botan," Kurama suddenly spoke up. "As long as we have this place, I think we can take the time to figure out how we fit."

Botan perked up in response, "I guess there is no rush for us, huh?"

"That's right," Kurama nodded, "Besides, I'm sure there are a lot of projects to work on around here to keep us preoccupied in the meantime. I have a few ideas for the landscape around here."

Kurama then gently grasped her arm and lifted her body up with him. His body paused, instinctively to take in the warmth and closeness of her. Then an amused smirk appeared on his face as he said, "Now if you would let me this time..." He trailed off as his hand quickly reached behind his neck again to pull out a bright yellow flower with pink edges.

"Your souvenir," Kurama said simply.

"Please tell me this one doesn't have any tricks down its sleeve," Botan said as she cautiously took the gift from his hands.

"None," Kurama answered with a laugh, "Unless you count longevity as a trick. This plant from demon world will not wilt for a long time."

"Is there a catch?"

"Well, it might drain just a tiny bit of your spirit energy overtime to maintain its vibrancy. I would be careful to keep more than one lying around."

Botan laughed nervously at his response and the smirk tugging at his lips. "Usually I would believe you, but now I'm not so sure."

"I guess you can find out," Kurama said in a playful tone. He started walking away from his companion and back to the main building. "Now, we have a lot to plan so let us head back."

"Plan?" Botan echoed as she tucked the flower into the sash of her kimono and let the petals peek out. She quickly jogged up to catch up to him.

"Yes, I would like to get started on a greenhouse here. I think we can arrange something with Genkai and Yusuke."

"Oh, I can help! I don't mind putting in some good old manual labor once in a while," Botan exclaimed as she rolled up her kimono sleeves for added effect.

Kurama smiled and patted her shoulder to calm the excited young woman, "With Genkai's new recruits, Yusuke, and Kuwabara around I'm sure we can arrange a better task for you."

Botan shot over a disgruntled look but started laughing happily instead.

Walking closely together, the pair animatedly discussed the new plans for the compound. In quiet moments between the two, Botan observed some trees and plant life noticeably more lively than before. They swayed happily along the path as if greeting the two and welcoming them home. She assumed it was probably due to the temple's new visitor, but she also attributed it to the lighter feeling in her heart that helped color her world a shade brighter.


	2. Chapter 2

Botan's hand laid upon the gate of the Minamino residence. A few thoughts raged in her head, each fighting to gain dominance and dictate the rest of her already frazzled demeanor. She double checked her pink mid-length skirt to make sure it wasn't too revealing. She flattened her bushy bangs to no avail. She kept inching back ever so slightly with every intention to bail.

The young women's bumbling thoughts preoccupied her so much that she didn't notice an older woman exit the front door with a green watering can in hand. There was a pause in her step as the black-haired woman looked upon this pretty, sky haired one.

Shiori Minamino, in her time as a mother to a growing teenage boy into adulthood, has had many young women visit the house. There were those that came in singles or big groups. Kurama would always catch her after school and urge her to direct them elsewhere. There were those that came in with their family, courtesy of Shiori's invite and Kurama's displeasure. _This one_, however, came to no initial warning or direction beforehand. This surprised the older woman quite a bit.

"Hello, are you lost, dear?" Shiori asked as she carefully approached the new visitor. She was met with a startled gasp and widening amethyst eyes.

"N-no I'm not! I'm sorry," Botan quickly bowed as soon she apologized. Shiori returned the bow with a warm smile.

"This is the Hatanaka residence, although you might be more familiar with Minamino. Are you here to see my son?"

Botan nodded. "Yes actually. Um, I'm Botan. It's very nice to meet you, er-"

"Shiori. Just Shiori should be fine."

Botan flushed at the response and decided to remain quiet as the older woman steadily gazed at her. Was she judging her? Does she look weird?

Botan even cursed the fox demon in her head. If he wasn't so insistent on her arriving in a more formal manner, then she wouldn't be in this position.

"Did Shuichi ask you to come by?" Shiori further asked. She suddenly had memories of random girls who would pass by during high school, hoping to catch her son off guard. Instead of unwittingly placing her son in what she assumed was an awkward situation, Shiori made sure to get more details.

"Yes, I'm supposed to accompany him in town today before heading to the temple," Botan answered. "I've been helping him with a project over there. Has Shuichi told you about it?"

"Only a little bit," Shiori admitted while shaking her head.

"Oh, that won't do," Botan gasped. Her face lit up with joy and Shiori found it hard to stop staring at the young woman. "In fact, of all the plans he has made over the years, this one is his best yet! I would love to tell you more about it."

There was a slight twinkle of surprise and glee that appeared in the older woman's face, but Botan didn't further think of the implications. To further investigate it would bring about ideas that she had not considered seriously.

Shiori put down the watering can and moved to open the gate to their house. "I'm delighted you decided to visit. You can tell me more about it. Please come in," Shiori cooed, quickly ushering the young woman forward to their front entrance. Her firm and decisive action were so eager that Botan had to comply without a single moment for hesitation.

Upon entering the household, Botan felt a dense scent of roses and nature snake up into her nose. Almost suffocating if it weren't for her experience being around Kurama.

"Shuichi, your friend is here," Shiori called out.

Botan's eyes followed the bundles of vellum paper and colored pencils strewn across the floor that lead to the dining room table where Kurama had seated himself. He was hunched over a few books and looked over his drafts every minute or so to make sure he was inscribing the plans just right. Botan didn't realize she was staring until Shiori had gently pushed her in.

"Good morning Botan, I didn't expect you to come so early," Kurama greeted as he stood up from his chair. He took a quick look at his watch just to make sure he didn't lose track of the time. He had been deeply involved in his research and specifications.

"I usually try to arrive around 15 minutes early," Botan answered sheepishly.

"That's nice, isn't Shuichi? She doesn't want to keep others waiting," Shiori piped in with a pleasant smile. Shiori looked between her son and his guest. Seeing both faces flush ever so slightly further delighted her. Before Botan could protest, Shiori gave her a firm push and guided her to the dining room table where Kurama sat. With another firm push on Botan's shoulder, Shiori planted the bewildered young woman right next to her son. She then walked into the kitchen, but not before saying, "Don't get too settled Shuichi, come help me make some tea and get a few treats out if she hasn't had breakfast yet."

Kurama quickly passed Botan an apologetic look. To his relief, she returned a bright smile with a sparkle of humor dancing in her amethyst eyes. Botan then waved a hand in the direction of the kitchen to signal her acceptance at the situation she was thrust into. "I haven't had anything to eat yet so something small would be nice," Botan said. And with that, he left to assist his mother.

As he walked into the kitchen, Kurama spotted Shiori placing a kettle on the stove to heat up. A tea set was already prepared right next to her as well. A few balls of red bean mochi stacked neatly in a plate also caught his wandering eye. His eyebrows furrowed in slight confusion, but he knew his mother well.

He walked over to grab the tea set and then paused for a few moments before picking it up. Turning his head to look at his mother, Kurama met eyes filled with both suspicion and curiosity. _Of course_. He thought correctly on the reason why Shiori insisted on him helping her.

"I can tell she's a good girl, Shuichi," Shiori started.

"Mother, please-" Kurama tried to protest.

"Don't be bashful! We've already had discussions about dating before, so I'm not sure why you're so embarrassed about it now," Shiori teased.

"Well, we're not dating, so please don't try to embarrass her any further with your notions," Kurama replied as a faint red hue started settling on his face.

"Heavens, _embarrass_ her? She would be so happy at the thought, my son," Shiori muttered, thoroughly surprised by his use of words.

Kurama made no attempts to discuss it. His silence only encouraged Shiori to continue.

"Remember Yui Sato? Or the other girls I introduced you to? I thought for sure at least one of them would be a good fit. I thought Yui was getting the closest as a friend. She would always call and sometimes you even took her out for a few dates."

Kurama's face fell in displeasure, but he quickly looked to the side in order to avoid his mother's observing eyes. "I'm sorry the set up didn't work the way you would have liked it, but that doesn't apply to this situation."

"Well, I only brought it up because you need to call her back. She has been insistent, and I expect there was no closure either."

Leave it to his mother to make him speechless. When it came to matters of the heart, she always poked her head around in his business to offer as much advice as possible. It was the one topic that she always snooped around in.

While Kurama would rather put this issue to rest, Shiori always gave him sound advice when it came to forming relationships. His demon side had a lot to say, but his human side knew that advice would not bode well for the human world framework.

"Now, let's bring these back," Shiori announced as she poured the last bit of hot water into a teacup. Kurama acknowledged by picking up both the tea set and plate of mochi before swiftly exiting the room ahead of his mother.

Botan had been sitting in the dining room, humming to herself while paging through every book that Kurama had been scouring. From landscaping architecture to horticulture to starting a business in agriculture. All were human world concepts she was barely familiar with. A slightly frustrated expression crossed her usual pleasant face and Kurama had noticed while setting the tea down.

"Is something troubling you?" He asked while handing her a cup.

"Oh, of course not. I was just thinking about how smart you must be. You know so much about spirit and demo-" Botan paused quickly as she caught Shiori entering the room. She quickly sputtered, "Ah, about general information on gardening… and business things. Very impressive!" Then she mentally hit herself for sounding silly when Kurama shot her an almost tense look.

Shiori paused before taking her seat at the table. She didn't miss this slip. Instead of questioning it more, she decided to enjoy her son's glare and their guest's bashful laugh. Kurama was always known to be as polite as possible but seemed comfortable enough to show impatience at his companion's bumbling nature.

"I was worried about Shuichi at first too, but even out of school and work he still pursues studies. A very entrepreneurial spirit I would say," Shiori chime in.

"We don't have to go that far," Kurama quickly stated. His shoulders relaxed slightly, but he kept had his gaze steady towards Botan in case she forgot herself again.

"You shouldn't be that modest. You have Yusuke and Genkai excited about your project. I would say that's quite a lot already," Botan firmly spoke up. She returned his steady gaze with her own challenging ones.

"Yusuke? Do you still keep in contact with him? I remember at my wedding your friend Kuwabara mentioning him," Shiori gasped with delight as she started putting the pieces together in her head. "Does that mean you know them as well? Are you all friends?"

Botan nodded in excitement, "Oh yes, we're all quite close. Unfortunately, we don't get to see each other as often as I would like."

Kurama noted her eager and happy nature regarding the topic. He never really admitted it… but she was right. To hear her say it only helped him further the confirmation in his head that the initial and begrudging team up between everyone had turned into something _positive._

"That's a relief to hear. Shuichi barely mentions you all," Shiori said. Kurama shivered slightly when he sensed his mother's unapproving eyes lay upon him.

"Oh, I can understand… we are an odd bunch," Botan quickly said, worried she might have revealed too much. "A _good_ odd bunch," she added after realizing what she just said.

"Well, if _you're_ there, I can believe that. Which reminds me. Botan, you weren't at my wedding. It would have been nice to see you there," Shiori mentioned. She looked at Botan first, but her gaze slowly shifted over to her son's. It was an almost accusatory tone once her eyes settled on him.

"I invited her, but unfortunately _Botan_ was the one who was incredibly busy this time," Kurama quickly answered. Botan had opened her mouth to answer, then shut it tight as she realized Kurama seemed upset at what he just said.

"T-that's right. My… employer was very demanding at the time. Pulling me this way and that. I really do apologize!" Botan stammered. If she recalled correctly, Kurama at the time seemed okay with it.

"I think Botan is making it up to me now by helping me build a greenhouse," Kurama said. He had a mischievous twinkle in his eyes as he turned to Botan. He enjoyed making her squirm. "Isn't that right?"

Botan nodded fervently. "Absolutely! I'm pretty good at supervising the boys. Even though they agreed to help build it, I'm afraid they would just argue with each other more."

Laughter erupted from both of them as they thought of Yusuke and Kuwabara having to work together with hammers, wrenches, and saws.

"It'll be a disaster," Kurama added. The group always worked together to tear things down, not build things up.

Shiori had been keenly listening while eating mochi and sipping tea. The conversation between the two came naturally, and further proved how long they have been friends. Or perhaps it was the girl's open and friendly nature that goaded her son's secretive one out. Either way, it just felt right.

They were just friends though, which is alright. Shiori believed it when her son had initially protested her, but if they were given some more room to grow and a bit of discovering then just maybe.

Shiori right then and there decided to stop pushing her son too much. No more matchmaking. No more pressing him to get out there and get a date with a fine young woman- or man if he had so desired.

"Sounds like you two know how to handle it," Shiori finally chimed in.

Her son was always the calculated type. Always controlling people's perception of who he was: charming, polite, the perfect son. A complete gentleman. Shiori always noticed his rigidity and paranoia toward maintaining this facade. But since coming back from his trip overseas, Kurama lost a bit of that composure.

"Sometimes," Kurama answered and poked Botan ever so lightly on her arm. "Someone here can be incited easily."

An indignant Botan went to swat him away. "Perhaps you would like to trade places with me, Shuichi. The constant barrage of jokes and teasing can certainly wear down a girl," Botan replied as she stuck out her tongue.

"If it only weren't so easy," he smirked.

"Not you too!" Botan cried out.

Yes, Kurama certainly loosened that vice grip he held on his being. Shiori wasn't sure where to attribute the cause nor did she want to assume it was because of this young woman, but she was thankful that Botan came along to show her this change.

"Well, I'm sure you both need to start leaving then. It sounds like you have your work cut out for you," Shiori finally spoke up. "And perhaps you'd like to come visit soon, Botan. I would be glad to have you and we can talk more about your friends and Shuichi's project."

Okay, maybe Shiori wanted to help them out just a little bit. When she noted the surprised look from her son and the delighted expression that lit up his companion's face, Shiori knew she made the right decision.

* * *

Their visit took a little longer than they expected. After Kurama and Botan finished their tea and snacks, Shiori had insisted on showing their new visitor around the house, much to the chagrin of a certain fox demon when his old baby photos surfaced. His mother also insisted on setting a date for Botan's next visit, along with specifying any foods the ferry girl favored or any allergies that should be made aware.

Shiori always knew her son to be patient and polite whenever it came to her. However, on this day, she could see the bubbling annoyance hiding beneath his expression.

And on this day, as Shiori continued to merrily chat and step outside of the front entrance to see them off in their path, Kurama abruptly cut into the conversation between his mother and Botan. He interjected with an exasperated tone and a curt statement. Shiori was left hanging mid-sentence.

To shock herself even further, Shiori realized she _didn't mind_. Her perfect, calculating young son- in another show of how much he changed- _finally_ lashed out at her. In Kurama's teenage years, she could never tell her coworkers stories of a typical bratty son being rebellious and outright stupid. Although not as brash, at least this was a step in the right direction.

Shiori gave out a hearty laugh when her son started apologizing profusely. He even came to the point of bowing his head repeatedly, but she quickly wrote it off and patted him on the shoulder to stop. Botan, in the meanwhile, looked on in wonder the whole time.

"Shuichi, don't feel bad about it," Shiori said, then gave her son a big hug. Kurama looked at her with an abashed face on as she pulled away, but his mother's sparkling eyes full of warmth and amusement steadied his guilty mind.

"In fact, I'm going to take that as a sign of good things to come," she added after pulling out of the embrace and pushing him and his companion down the walkway.

They all made their final goodbyes to each other. All three left with excitement to the next planned date.

The pair were walking in comfortable silence for a long while. They fell in step with each other as they made their way into town to purchase materials for the new greenhouse. Kurama enjoying the presence of a familiar friend. Botan taking in the fresh smell and the oncoming hectic sounds of human life.

It did not take a while for Kurama to notice his companion's increasing restlessness. He did not attempt to find out why, because he assumed he would eventually find out. So when he saw Botan raise her shoulders gradually and then release it with a deep sigh to accompany, Kurama knew he guessed correctly. Although the words that came out hit him unexpectedly.

"Do you think she'll ever know one day? About who you are?" Botan carefully asked. Kurama took a quick double take on his companion. He spied her peering at him with hesitant but curious eyes. The sudden question hung over the pair awkwardly, like a few hours ago when his mother started showing diaper pictures.

Botan saw his face turn slightly away. A slight feeling of apprehension formed in her heart at the sight. She always had a tendency to talk and ask questions without realizing the ramifications of her actions.

"I don't know," Kurama admitted. Simple and to the point. Usually, he understood the next steps but found himself at a loss when concerning the case of his dual being and personal relationships. Even more so in recent time once the missions and adventures with the spirit detectives came to an end.

Botan nodded, relating to his predicament. She had watched family relations from afar for a long time now, but concept and practice were different. Even more unfortunate, the situation has always been surrounding the passing of a loved one. She took another pointed look at Kurama, then turned her head to concentrate on the cars passing by on the road next to them. "I don't know either," she finally said with a sigh.

A short silence passed between them.

"But to what I have observed over time," Botan decided to continue after fighting herself over it, "then it seems the truth eventually finds a way."

Kurama finally turned to her, his eyes shining in an almost hurtful way. "It that's the case, I'll let time run its course."

The bustle of the crowd started humming louder in the background as the pair walked closer to the commercial district.

"When I ferry, some souls tend to linger if they leave such important things to time," Botan spoke a bit more firmly, regardless of how Kurama bristled at the conversation. "You never know what happens in such a short span of human life. So no matter what type of closure, at least an attempt was made to reach closer to the one they love the most. When that is accomplished, those dissatisfied spirits tend to accept their passing into the next life."

Botan then slowed her pace a bit and looked back when she noticed Kurama slightly behind her. She was about to apologize until she heard his voice speak up, much to her relief.

"You must have learned a lot in your time as a ferry girl," Kurama said with a small smile forming on his lips. It was an appreciative smile. A bit admiring even.

"It can be stressful at times, for sure, but I do enjoy making the passage from death to the afterlife easier. It's already such a sad event," Botan said with an embarrassed laugh. "I must sound silly," she added.

"Not at all. In fact, I'm frankly upset at myself for not asking about it earlier."

Botan started laughing even more. "Oh, believe me, it's not something that you would want to hear. Most of the time you get a lot of spirits eager to leave human world! You should have seen Yusuke when I first met him."

Kurama, noticing her growing nervousness, decided to ignore it. He stopped abruptly and grasped her arm.

Startled by the sudden action, Botan almost whipped behind and bumped into his strong but lean build. She felt a growing embarrassment at her heart thundering in her chest when he steadied her body with his firm grasp. She hoped that Kurama didn't notice as he drew her in.

"Thank you, Botan," Kurama murmured. He gazed down into her surprised amethyst eyes. There was a feeling of _closeness_ that seized him, but it wasn't because of the physical boundaries that he had been slowly removing each time they met. "I would like to hear more stories you have about the spirit world and your role in it."

Botan's mouth remained slightly agape in response to the sudden pull from Kurama. With a few mental pinches to wake from her stupor, she shook her head and stepped back only slightly. His grasp on her remained firm.

"I'm not sure... I do have _a lot_," she warned him.

Kurama chuckled, "I will hear it, even the ones that have troubled you."

"W-Well, you must tell me more about demon world then! And your time there in the past," she added.

"Perhaps, but then you'll have to throw in some stories about working under Koenma and how you've been the last year I was gone," Kurama then countered, growing even more amused by how unwilling she seemed. For a girl who loved to chat quite a bit, Botan seemed reluctant to share too much about her life in spirit world.

"Same goes for you! You have a lot of explaining to do," Botan shot back, almost laughing at his persistence.

"Only if you agree to meet me at least once a month, because we have a lot to cover," Kurama then hovered a finger on her parted lips, barely brushing against it with the pad of his fingertips. His hazy gaze trailed from her shocked eyes to her pointed nose and down to the pink, plush lips that formed a pout. "And that's it. I won't hear anything else but a yes."

Botan's legs almost fell at the close proximity between the two. There were only a handful of times when this happened. Many were necessary during missions when Kurama needed to save her or when Botan had to stick close due to the dangerous conditions in their environment. Only a few were voluntary, and those moments had been within the past few days since his arrival. As a result, the most she could muster for an answer was a strangled, "E-eh?"

And with that, Kurama pulled away. He stifled a laugh with his hand before managing to say, "I'll take that as a yes."

Watching her bewildered face with a jaw drop and bright red apples on her cheeks further drove Kurama to break his muffled laughter. There was always enjoyment in teasing Botan. Yusuke and Kuwabara had done so frequently in the past and with such a friendly level of candor that eventually Kurama felt comfortable enough to start following along. With his friendly ribbing of Hiei on occasion, he was able to catch on quite easily.

Amidst his building laughter, Kurama recalled the first attempt: while he was eager to catch her off guard with a sarcastic quip, Botan was the one to turn tables by easily giving him an affectionate look and happily laughing. No suspicion. No fretting over his joke and trying to change who she was for him. No retaliation in anger.

"Y-you!" Botan presently cried out, ready to fight back. But upon a more calmer examination of her companion, Botan instead trailed off at the sight of Kurama's laugh starting to seize and take over. She puffed at her bangs and placed both hands against her hips. "Fine, you win," Botan grumbled.

But somehow, his teasing today was different. Kurama knew why, and his mind continuously called out to him to surface those simple thoughts and words to the front. He knew why he found it funny, why it gave him so much joy. It was an unbidden thought, however. One he squashed quickly before it dictated any other future actions towards his dear friend.

So Kurama let his laughter die down before taking lead again in their journey to the hardware store. He gave her an innocent smile, which she easily accepted, then made big strides with a focus towards their destination. Botan dutifully followed.

The pair walked again in comfortable silence for a longer stretch of their walk. Noticeably, one had moved in a little closer. Shoulders almost touched with each step forward. He would occasionally glance at her. She would look elsewhere in obvious avoidance.

Kurama often found her eagerly focused on families gathering near restaurants or admiring dazzling store displays. "I'm surprised you would want to turn down a chance to talk, " Kurama teased once more in order to draw her attention back to him.

"Oh please, I know when there is a limit to things," Botan laughed.

"That's not what Yusuke said about you."

"_Yusuke_ and Kuwabara rubbed off on you. You guys are just incessant with teasing!"

The two continued with friendly conversation as they weaved their way through the more dense crowds that started forming in the commercial district.

* * *

"So what do you say?"

Kuwabara eyed the rearview mirror to observe his friends. Yukina looked over her shoulder as well. On her pretty face was a happy and eager expression, enough so to goad a clever fox demon and a bright-eyed ferry girl into saying yes. But the potential prospect bewildered them and only continued their slight doubts.

Kurama looked out the window to watch the passing foliage on the road to Genkai's temple. The endless sea of sparkling green marked by the shimmer of golden light signaled the ending of the day. It was surprisingly peaceful and relaxing, considering the lead up to this point.

Yesterday, the group decided to split up tasks for the day. Kuwabara and Yukina went off to pick up the truck for the day while Kurama and Botan were asked to do the shopping. Yusuke apparently had to take care of other business that he had adamantly kept quiet about and hinted towards possibly seeing the group later in the day.

Presently, they were getting back into town to return the truck they borrowed to pick up wood and tools from the hardware store. Kuwabara, however, proposed a different plan before they had to get rid of their transportation for the night. Apparently, he needed Shizuru with him to return the rental tomorrow.

"I never knew he was such a good cook," Botan chimed in. She watched Kuwabara back in the rearview mirror to gauge his reaction.

"Yeah, I'm telling you. It's real good! At first, I was going to turn down a free meal, but then the smells got me!" Kuwabara exclaimed. He put on an almost simperingly delighted face. Botan had to direct her gaze outside.

"When did he start focusing on this?" Kurama asked.

"Well, that whole time you were gone I think," Kuwabara answered. "He put in a good year of work learning to cook. He also managed to buy and put together the ramen cart with his own money. Can you believe that guy? I couldn't believe it myself! Actually, I'm even more surprised at how he kept it a secret for so long. I didn't find out until 2 weeks ago when he finally asked me to see it..."

As Kuwabara continued to ramble on with his story, Kurama and Botan both looked up front again. Yukina still looked back patiently waiting for an answer. The pair then turned to look at each other. Botan shrugged. Kurama nodded.

"I think we should go visit him then. I for one am excited to see what he manages to cook up," Kurama finally answered. Yukina clasped her hands gratefully, ecstatic at the notion of them all going to dinner together.

"Yes, what could go wrong?" Botan cheerfully added and joined in the ice maiden's excitement. Outings like this came rarely and with Kurama's return, the occasion was appropriate for a celebration. There seems to be no better way to spend her second day of rest from the spirit world.

"Right, I've been going there the past few weekends. Urameshi is starting to get annoyed though, always yelling at me about how I'm driving away customers," Kuwabara banged the driving wheel with his fist. "But come on! You should see the types he pulls in lately."

"Remember Jin, Touya, and the others from the Makai Tournament? We've bumped into them on occasion," Yukina clarified. With a light appearing in Yukina's eyes as she recalled the demons, Kuwabara bristled and started shaking slightly in anger.

Yukina always had a good heart, ready and open to accept most people. Because of her kind-hearted nature, Kurama suspected his orange-headed friend to be easily incited into jealousy over the smallest thing. Appropriately, Kuwabara started his onslaught of words disparaging of said demons. A confused Yukina worriedly patted him on the shoulder to calm him down.

Kurama started to pity Kuwabara more. The lovesick puppy will be in for a rough ride with that kind of sentiment towards men engaging the ice demon.

'_Love'_, Kurama thought as he turned to look at the sky-haired woman sitting peacefully beside him, '_is the most prized treasure, and yet the most dangerous enemy of all_.' A few thoughts then floated into the familial love of his mother, which proved to be a big crutch all throughout his life. But, Kurama was always ready and willing to accept all the burdens of retaining the love of his mother.

Romantic love proved difficult, especially with humans. A sudden memory of Maya Kitajima entered his mind, but he quickly buried it. A more recent interest also presented itself in the form of Yui Sato, but he also wiped the thought before it took hold. He didn't need to add weight to his burdens. And if he can avoid it for as long as possible, he will.

'_But she's different,'_ Kurama allowed himself to think as he continued to look at the woman beside him. He pursed his lips into a thin line then slightly shook his head. Kurama tried to focus on the vehicle and its movement that started to mimic the frazzled emotions of its driver. Alarming, he would think, if not for the more distracting ideas entering his mind.

Botan, in midst of all the banter upfront, enjoyed the changing outside scenery as soon as Kuwabara took off in his rant. The dense nature of their route started to spot with residential housing and various stores. Human activity sprung into life once more as the truck rolled into the city. Even though darkness fell into tall buildings that decorated the horizon, lights grew brighter and the chatter of crowds grew louder. Something she always loved about the human world.

Before Botan met Yusuke and everyone, the human world seemed at arm's length for a long period. While her interactions with the recently passed informed her of human nature, she was but a mere observer all the time. Botan wanted to believe she was once human long ago. The familiarity was there, but the memory was empty. And with that emptiness, she always worked to fill it with the tasks and duties that were placed upon her in the spirit world.

But now, the streets they traveled and the foods they shared brought the human world _alive. _For better or for worse. And it was because of all her friends here.

Botan glanced up at Kuwabara and Yukina who now laughed together. A pretty blush settled on the ice demon's face when Kuwabara continuously apologized and crooned his love for her. He realized he was making her uncomfortable with his negative barrage on the friendships made with those demons over time.

Botan then carefully turned to Kurama who was now paying attention to the two upfront. He held a fond expression as he watched Kuwabara's antics and Yukina's shyness.

She was tasked to watch over Yusuke and the rest of the spirit detectives over the years. Admittedly, she watched Kurama with keen interest. Not only did he demonstrate himself as dangerously capable, but he was compassionate and fiercely loyal.

Kurama was inspiring. Absolutely a demon worth admiring, even though spirit world would make sure to correct that opinion. Botan continued to stare, not realizing Kurama taking notice. And suddenly, the fond expression she observed on his face deepened when emerald eyes met hers.

_Maybe_ it was because of _him _too. But the ferry girl held this thought close to her heart, not yet ready to accept it.

Botan returned an embarrassed smile when recognition passed between them. Although she did not say anything, Kurama could see a panicked apology crossing her face when she started realizing the steady gaze they held together. He would have none of it.

"I'm glad you were the one to come along with me today. Thank you," Kurama placated with a soothing smile. "I think we'll have a good time at dinner tonight."

At the sight of sincerity in his eyes, Botan perked up ever so slightly. She graced him with a bright smile. "I'm glad we went together too," Botan agreed.

Kuwabara's chatter masked the more mute murmurs between the pair in the back. He did not notice the growing affection behind him.

Yukina noticed. Even through all of Kuwabara's outbursts or winding stories, she managed to catch the words passing between the occupants in the backseat. She did not dare look back but kept on a permanent smile for the rest of the trip.

The truck finally slowed to a stop in an alleyway just beside the ramen stall. A few lingering rays of the sun remained, but darkness mostly cloaked the streetways. People crowded the walkways in the main street, but the location of Yusuke's ramen stall nestled comfortably in a more private area.

Kurama and Botan both noted the warm glow of lanterns and the delicious wafting scents as they exited the truck and approached the small cart. Somehow, it was inviting and comfortable, even next to the roaring trains that occasionally passed by.

Pots and pans clanging in the background grew louder as the group brushed away the overhead curtains and made their presence known to the owner. It was their favorite former spirit detective donning a waist apron and a large white headband. He was at the sink, furiously scrubbing away at his dishes.

"Oi, Urameshi!" Kuwabara greeted. Yukina bowed deeply. Kurama and Botan paused for a beat to take in the startling sight of all the prepared food and a large boiling pot of broth before greeting Yusuke as well.

"Welcome, welcome!" Yusuke boomed as he turned away from the sink to face his friends. He held onto a large ladle and a pair of chopsticks as he crossed his arms. He stuck out his chest and inhaled before bellowing again, "So I see Kuwabara was successful at his mission!"

"Not like it was ever hard in the first place! How hard could it be to bring people to dinner," Kuwabara cried out. He took an end seat at the smaller segment of the L-shaped counter. The short side only seated 2, while the longer one offered 4 seats.

"I had my worries, Kuwabara. It took you a week before coming around," Yusuke shot back and scrunched up his nose.

"It's not my fault you were being too evasive about it," Kuwabara yelled back. When Yukina slid into the seat next to him, he cleared his throat and lowered his voice, "Usually you're so upfront about everything that I didn't realize you were dropping hints the whole time."

"It was only when I asked you upfront that you finally realized what that I was asking you to come to the ramen cart," Yusuke mused. His chocolate brown eyes then moved to observe his good friends visiting the cart for the first time. "If I talked to Kurama about it, he would've known right away."

Kurama moved into the seat at the corner next to Yukina. "I'm surprised I didn't hear about this earlier," Kurama said in disappointment.

Yusuke didn't reply immediately and instead watched Kurama place a hand on the seat right next to him. Yusuke then glanced up at Botan whose face lit up with glee. When she happily took the invitation, Yusuke tilted his head to the side and furrowed his eyebrows. Curious.

"Well, with you just getting back a couple of weeks ago, I didn't find the right time. At this point, I wanted it to be a surprise to everyone!" Yusuke finally answered. He kept a watchful eye on his former assistant who leaned in to whisper at Kurama and giggle behind her hand. That's a new development. "What's so funny, huh?" Yusuke cut in, to which Botan immediately shot back an annoyed look when he interrupted.

"I said, I could come here every day if I knew you would be wearing that outfit and serving me food like that!" Botan loudly repeated and folded her arms. She leaned into the counter and then expectantly looked up at their cook for the night.

"Only if you're paying! This ain't a charity y'know," Yusuke grumbled. "And you gotta _look the part_ if you wanna be something, Botan. _You_ wouldn't know about that."

Botan shrugged, "It's not my fault people in the human world have misconceptions about life after death."

"Do enlighten us _mere_ humans, Botan," Kurama said with a twinkle in his eye.

"You are relentless today, aren't you?" Botan asked with a slight laugh. She then looked to the side when she recalled the events earlier today with Kurama. In a low voice, she answered more seriously, "Well, maybe I'll talk more about it another night."

Yusuke took a look at Kurama, who had focused his attention on the ferry girl the whole time. And then he looked to Botan, who had turned bashful all of a sudden. Yes, this _is_ a new development. Was it always there, or was he more dense usual? Yusuke always thought he could read a situation pretty clearly, but this time he had to second guess himself.

"I've never heard of some spirit world stories," Kuwabara interjected. "You gotta tell me some!"

"Yes, I would like to hear some too," Yukina piped in.

Botan sighed loudly, "Why the interest now?"

"Maybe because we don't have demons trying to take over human world all the time anymore?" Yusuke rhetorically asked. "Turns out loosening strict laws and ending some prejudice works wonders for preventing the apocalypse."

"I would think, because of all the new policing structures that arose with the barrier coming down, that cases are now being delegated between multiple parties," Kurama said while he grabbed the cup of tea that Yusuke offered. The others received their cups happily as the chill of evening settled in.

Yusuke then slammed the hot tea kettle onto the stove. "Way to be practical, Kurama. I was trying to make a nice point there."

"I apologize. I seem to be stealing your thunder lately," Kurama said with a light laugh.

"_Can_ it, fox boy," Yusuke grumbled. "Also, I'm not letting you off the hook that easily about your little disappearance."

Kurama sipped his tea in response.

"That's not fair, Yusuke," Botan spoke up, "You disappeared in demon world for a long time too!"

"Tch, at least you guys knew where I was," Yusuke retorted. He turned his back on them to tend to the huge pot of water in a rolling boil. Steam billowed out in big clouds of smoke as he dunked the noodles in their hot bath. He then hurriedly started bringing out ingredients in order to assemble each bowl easily: fatty slices of pork, bamboo shoots, green onions, the works. Yusuke worked fast and hard to assemble everything as each batch of noodles came out of the pot. All the while, he was able to maintain a clear mind. There was no pause in his movements when he added, "Don't tell me you weren't mad too, Botan."

Botan froze at Yusuke's words and at Kurama's gaze focusing on her once more. When Botan initially found out about his foray in demon world, she kept her worries at bay. She didn't want to seem like a pest, so she kept her inquiries and conversations about the missing fox demon at a minimum with the whole group. But boy, did she want to lead the charge to Kurama's house during that time period.

"I can't recall, Yusuke," she answered with an edge to her voice. She leveled a gaze at him while he dished out the noodles to each bowl.

Upon finishing, Yusuke innocently looked at her, "Oh, I guess I was talking to someone else with a pink kimono and a flying oar. She sure did seem mad that one night when we had everyone over Genkai's. I can probably ask Keiko about who that girl was-"

"Yusuke!" Botan cut in. She had shouted and almost threw her cup at him, but Kurama's watchful eyes restrained her actions. Instead, the young woman turned her gaze away and thoughtfully tapped her lips. Perhaps there was a moment, after finding out the news of Kurama's trip to the demon world, when she did say a few choice words about the fox demon to the whole group. Nothing that he should ever find out she decided.

"And what did you say?" Kurama asked right on queue. A radio silence stretched over the group. Kuwabara and Yukina watched closely. They both tilted their heads at the oddly contented expression on Kurama's face.

"Ooohhh, how _could _he abandon us! We're his _friends_! That jerk, does he not care about human world anymore!" Yusuke started in a sing-song voice. "I guess demons really never cha-"

"Yusuke! Shut up!" Botan cut in once more, this time animosity fully gripping her tone. Before she could make another heated statement, Yusuke plopped a hot bowl of ramen right in front of her. The fragrant steam of pork and broth drifted into her nose and helped calm her emotions down. She slumped down a little further into the bowl to avoid the many stares that pinned her.

"I probably did deserve that," Kurama finally said. He looked down into the bowl that Yusuke handed to him. His earlier, ravenous appetite abated as soon as he heard Yusuke's interpretation of past events. Although he was pleased to hear how affected she was over his absence, hearing those words about him hurt nonetheless.

"I'm certain Botan didn't say it like that, though," Yukina decided to step in before there were any further misunderstandings. "Maybe a similar variation of that, but I think she was more so just venting along with all of us. To be honest, I wonder why everyone didn't see you in the first place, Kurama."

Yusuke harrumphed, "I'm not his keeper! Besides, he'd come back eventually. We all knew. Sometimes you just gotta give a guy his space, y'know."

Yukina glanced at Kuwabara who was nodding vehemently and aggressively inhaling the food in front of him. She squinted her eyes, though, slightly doubting Kuwabara's affirmation of the notion. "Kazuma must be a little different. There's not a day that passes without him calling or visiting me," Yukina said with a pointed look to Kuwabara. He could only offer a raise of his eyebrows in response.

Yusuke laughed, "We tried to warn you."

Botan jumped into the conversation, latching onto Yusuke's reasonings as well. "Ah, right, I didn't think Kurama would want to be bothered too. You know, life and whatnot being busy and all," Botan said with an embarrassed laugh. Rather, she didn't know if she was close enough to the fox demon to be so familiar.

"Sounds like excuses to me," Kuwabara finally contributed through muffled sips and chewing. He then almost choked at the oppressive stares from both the ferry girl and former spirit detective that threatened to engulf him. "H-hey, Yukina is my priority here. Kurama can take care of himself," he said bluntly.

Botan straightened her back and then turned to Kurama. He had been quiet and a bit stoic throughout the conversation, but held a rather open posture. "Kurama, maybe I did say you were a bit of a jerk," Botan admitted. She clapped her hands together and bowed her head dramatically, "But it is true that I thought so back then! Sometimes, it's true now! If you're angry with me, I apologize!"

Kurama had to pause in order to take in the full admission. Botan had brought her head up to firmly stare into his wide eyes with her own determined ones. Yusuke was trying not to laugh too loud in the background. Kuwabara and Yukina ate quietly, but both listened closely.

Without missing another beat, Kurama began laughing. It was a more guttural laugh than his usual restrained ones. Botan had to pull away slightly as she watched his body shake and bend forward. Her face started glowing a bright pink and her nosy friends couldn't help but gape at it.

"No, I don't accept that apology," Kurama managed through sparse breaths. "I don't need one. You were right, I was being a jerk back then."

Botan's eyes almost bugged, "K-Kurama, no! I won't accept that!"

"You're going to have to deal with it, Botan."

"I only said it out of frustration once."

"That's perfectly fine."

"Not when I don't actually mean it!"

"But you were right to feel that way at the time. I didn't property tell anyone about my intentions. I didn't tell _my friends._"

"It's also not right when we just jump to conclusions about things."

"True, but without the right information being given I can properly understand that."

It was as if the world faded away at that moment. Both fully turned their bodies to each other, the bowls of ramen promptly forgotten, and three others left by the wayside. Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Yukina looked at each other. Two of them were incredulous at the argument. One pleasantly enjoying the banter.

Yusuke moved in closer to Kuwabara and Yukina. "Do these guys even know how to argue?" he asked under his breath.

Kuwabara snorted, "I don't know, but seems like they should take a page from our book. Yukina and I don't _ever _argue, isn't that right sweetheart?"

Yukina giggled. Yusuke's face scrunched up disapprovingly, but still appreciated the quirk they had together. When he noticed both Kurama and Botan still actively engaged in each other, he decided to settle into a conversation with the two next to him. For whatever reason, that pair deserved a bit of privacy right now.

"Half the fun in a relationship is the argument. Keiko taught me that," Yusuke continued. He leaned an elbow on the counter and laid a cheek on his fist when Kuwabara went off on one of his rants.

"You didn't visit Genkai's before you went off to demon world too," Botan said almost too quietly with a red blush dusting her cheeks. During their conversation, she wanted to convey how upset she was over his absence. Kurama was unlike Hiei, and Botan expected better of him. Without being too confrontational, she murmured, "What happened to you, Kurama?"

Kurama, for only a few moments, did not offer any explanation. Rather, he thought it was surprising how much he started to _like _her at this moment. It was all too simple really and he never gave it much thought until he returned home to the human world. The growing attraction he held for her over the years now rearing its ugly head, forcing him to really consider what he was going to ask next.

"Remember we're supposed to have dinner? To talk about what happened," Kurama whispered. "We'll be trading stories. It's only fair." He deftly leaned into her and barely brushed her pinky with his hand before placing it right next to hers. When he saw her tremble slightly, a little voice in his head told him to just go for it. Anxiety and doubt be damned.

"Yes," Botan breathed. "That would be a good idea."

Kurama smirked when he saw her move back. Her cheeks turned into an even brighter red.

"Come meet me at Genkai's tomorrow at 5 pm. I'll take you out for dinner," Kurama said under his breath.

"Oh, you don't want to meet here?" Botan questioned. She felt herself getting a bit lightheaded.

"It would be nice for someplace more private," Kurama answered with a coy smile.

"I see, we wouldn't want Yusuke butting in all the time," Botan nodded.

"Then it's agreed," Kurama uttered as he swiftly leaned back. He moved his hand away from Botan's to pick up his chopsticks. "This looks delicious," he marveled and took in a deep breath.

Botan remained awestruck for a few moments. Only the sound of Kurama slurping the noodles helped ground her after. She turned to her own bowl and breathed in the rich, creamy broth.

"Yes, and it tastes delicious too," Botan agreed after she sampled a slice of pork.

A roaring train rolled by the ramen cart. The din of wheels against tracks didn't dampen the spirits of the happy group gathered on this night. They continued to carry conversations into the late hours of the day. Tonight, they celebrated each new beginning, both hidden and revealed.


	3. Chapter 3

It was an unusually busy day for the compound. At first, Genkai found this gathering to be a nuisance. Having Yusuke badger her about keeping up with the training ground maintenance was enough headache for one day. Including a bumbling Kuwabara who manages to break the training dummies on occasion tested the thin line she balanced on for sanity. Adding on Kido, Yana, and Kaito who challenged the 2 boys constantly seemed impossible to her mental health. But it was working out somehow. Probably thanks to Kurama overseeing the plans and Keiko whipping all the boys back to work.

With the loud shouts of orders and the flurry of hammers not too far from her porch, Genkai graciously lifted the cup to enjoy the densely herbal smells of her tea. When she would finish emptying the contents into her mouth, Yusuke would swiftly pour her a new steaming cup. He would fill the cup to the brim every time, hoping Genkai would spill the hot water as she lifted it to her lips. Instead, he watched the tea remain undisturbed like a still pond in a pristine nature painting.

Yusuke nursed several bruises that were planted on his arms and face in between each pour. He had been constantly loud today. Yusuke started to suspect the reason for her peace, besides Keiko and Kurama, was because of the black and blue marks she planted on his body to relieve tension.

After Yukina passed by to refill the teapot at least 2 more times, Genkai finally made the first comment to break the silence, "Kurama seems to have settled into his new project pretty well. He would be very good at keeping this place maintained, I think."

Yusuke breathed in slowly to prepare a response. He paused to see her reaction, and then continued with his statement once Genkai didn't raise a hand, "I know what you're trying to say, grandma… and yeah, I agree. I don't know if I can be here as often as I would like."

Genkai gave him a wry smile, "Yes, because everything I say usually implies that you're a useless, lazy brat."

"Hey, you taught me to be on my guard at all times," Yusuke grumbled.

Genkai noticed the slightly raised tone of his voice and his slight recoil in realization to that fact. She only scoffed in amusement, "You're still a kid after all this time, Yusuke."

Yusuke opened his mouth to give her another playful retort, but he trailed off as he watched her rise up beside him. Her movements were slower than usual. She also clumsily lifted one of her legs dangling off the side of the porch and banged a foot against the siding. Her hand massaged her lower back as she laboriously lifted herself to her feet.

Some days, Genkai felt no burden of muscle pain and a burst of young energy would jolt through her. Other days, the pain would hit hard and she would hide it as much as possible. Today, she took no extra caution. Today, she bit down her pride and let the pain of her body show.

Genkai took a few steps into the adjacent tea room. The tatami doors were slid open wide enough to let in the mid-morning sunlight. Inside were a few lingering plants that were more of the human world variety. Kurama had to quickly move a few out when one snaked its vines into both Yukina and Genkai's tea the other day. He was met with the harshest of glares from the older woman, but no words lashed out at him to his surprise. Perhaps verbal beatings were only reserved for Yusuke, or maybe Kurama was always swift to act on any grievances.

With a relieved groan, Genkai planted herself into one of the cushions next to the table. Yusuke followed suit, making sure to bring the tea set along with him. He placed it on the table and poured out a fresh cup for her. This time the water at an appropriate level. He then uncomfortably reached over to hand it to her.

"The days aren't getting any easier," Genkai admitted as she accepted the hot teacup from his extended hand, "I think seeing you kids running around here has helped it out a bit. That's why I think one of you should stay here permanently. But the land is big enough to share, as well."

Yusuke didn't exactly react. He only looked upon her with a blank expression. A long stretch of silence passed between the two before Yusuke chuckled, "You sound like you're about to kick the bucket soon. Don't kid yourself, Genkai, you're tougher than that."

Genkai lifted the cup to her face to hide a small smile. She let out a barely audible "Idiot!" before taking the brim to her lips and sipping. She breathed in deep and seemed to take a long pause to enjoy the taste of the sweet and nutty flavor of this green tea. Then she looked at Yusuke, "You seem to forget, I've died once before. And you have no more wishes that you can use."

Again Yusuke didn't visibly react. However, there was a tiny glint of anger in his eyes and his eyebrows bunched together in irritation. He made no response.

"Life sneaks up on you, they say. Instead, as you get older, we constantly keep an eye on death as it slowly creeps closer," Genkai continued with a faraway look in her eyes. "I suppose, as much as you try to prepare everything before you leave, nothing will ever be finished until you're gone. Whatever you decide to do, at least remember you have this place to fall back on."

Yusuke shivered slightly as he listened to her. It was a firm but gentle tone, not the usual abrasive and raspy voice that would constantly nag at him to do the right thing. He looked at his empty cup and started to trace the brim with a finger. He did not pour a single cup since he started sitting here with Genkai, but something comforting sounds good right about now.

"Also, I want to make sure you know this- and I imagine you've been seeing this at your new ramen cart. More demons have been visiting lately as well. Apart from the usual bunch," Genkai continued. "Most have been benign so far, but I worry about the few that have been roaming the on the far edges. If you don't intend to do anything with this land, at least promise me you'll make sure it's protected."

Yusuke turned to her with a resolute expression forming on his face as he processed her statement. There was one part that particularly caught his interest. He went through his head to recall all the new faces he has been seeing at his ramen cart- some hid their demon physiques pretty well but he also noted a few would sit in plain sight. Most of his customer base seemed to be demons in fact, and he wondered how some came to know of its existence in the first place.

"You seem to be a bit chatty about me and the ramen cart, Genkai," Yusuke said with a suspicious tone.

"Enough so. The rest just start to talk about your cart among themselves," Genkai answered with a small smirk gracing her face, "Initially, I figured it would be good for them to have a place in town that they can gather."

"Great. As much as I appreciate the business, that means the cart is at a slight risk with all types of demons now coming to visit," Yusuke complained.

Genkai huffed and set her teacup down with a small bang, "I only send the good ones. Besides, news travels beyond me at this point. Now that the barrier is down, many entranceways have opened up. And words travel fast among demons."

"No doubt," Yusuke nodded. "I guess this is something I would want, it's a business after all. I'm just getting too many kinds of demons and sometimes I can't shake the feeling that one of them is going to do something to piss me off one day."

The pair looked evenly at each other once Yusuke aired out his grievance. Genkai speculated that Yusuke held onto the idea of moving past all of his work done during his spirit detective days. Not out of naivety, though. Ever since Yusuke officially set the date for the marriage ceremony with Keiko, he was careful about getting involved again.

He may be trying hard to separate both lives from each other, but it was too late. It ensnared his being and embedded itself into his life for good. Both demon and human. Yusuke began to learn of the aches and pains associated with these two natures. He also began to understand Kurama a lot better.

Hearing no immediate response from Genkai, Yusuke continued, "I had one demon come by. Guy looked like shit, all ratty looking and tired. He was down in the dumps about the constant harassment back in the demon world and decided to come here to escape. You shoulda seen it. I was minding my own business and all of a sudden he was blubbering all over his food, so I had to ask. Now I'm being roped in to track these assholes down for him."

Genkai grinned, "My idiot apprentice. Complains about all the attention and work, but still feels the need to help someone when they're in trouble. "

"The job never ends, I guess," Yusuke sighed. He opened his mouth to speak again, but the tatami doors that connected to the hallway slid open. A pretty brunette and a young ice maiden entered the room. One with a fresh batch of tea and extra cups and the other held a tray of rice balls and pancakes sandwiched together with a dark paste. The pair chatted quite loudly about the snacks they made together while they set the food on the table.

Weariness started settling into Genkai's old bones as soon as she spotted several plates of food being set out. It was best to leave now for another part of the building before all the busy mouths started returning inside. For some reason, whenever these feisty pupils and friends got together, she was somehow always pulled into the center of attention.

"You must stay awhile, Genkai," Keiko insisted once Genkai voiced her announcement to leave.

"I can only handle so much. Besides, I leave everything in your capable hands," Genkai smoothly replied. She gave the two younger women heartfelt thanks before excusing herself to her room with a rice ball in hand. Silence lingered in the air for a while longer as the crew, lost in thought, stared solemnly at the doorway through which she left.

"I've... made salmon, pickled plum, and a few have beef in them," Keiko stated to ease the slight tension. She gathered the few with beef and placed them right in front of Yusuke. In an amused tone, she added, "This guy can be a little bit picky with the other flavors so I took the time to make these as well."

"I thought you were over at the greenhouse bossing everyone around," Yusuke pointed out. He ravenously bit into his rice ball a few times before adding, "And now you're bossing Yukina around too?"

Keiko swiftly jabbed his arm and knocked the food out of his hand. Before Yusuke had a chance to bellow out his frustration, Yukina quickly shot her hands up and waved both hands frantically to calm the two down. "I a-asked Keiko to teach me how to make dorayaki, Yusuke," Yukina sputtered out, "For Kazuma. He always said it was one of his favorite things to eat and… and well, I figured, maybe I could try to make it for him. I'm sorry if this-"

Before Yukina could utter another word, Keiko returned to her friend's side and audibly sighed, "Say no more, Yukina, I will not let you apologize to someone who is being immature."

The brunette then laid both hands upon the ice maiden's back and ushered her towards an empty seat at the table. "Now, excuse me while I go get everyone to eat," Keiko announced once Yukina settled in.

Yusuke, seeming as if he already forgot about the terse exchange, observed the rather timid and pure-hearted demon. He has only known her to be "Hiei's younger demon sister" or "The only love of his life" as Kuwabara put it. She seemed like a mythical creature at this point. But she simply picked up a rice ball, fumbled around with it a bit, clumsily took a bite, and Yusuke was hit with a sudden reminder that Yukina has been getting very comfortable here in the human world. As if it was natural for her to fit into Kuwabara's life and become his constant companion.

In fact, he forgot she was a demon in the first place.

"You and Kuwabara getting along then?" Yusuke asked. A hint of awkwardness cracked in his voice, but Yukina took no notice and returned a wide smile at his interest.

"Kazuma has been very nice so far," Yukina said in earnest. "We do many things together, recently he's been showing me around your city more. Restaurants, cafes, arcades- everything!"

"Now that you mention it, I guess you haven't been here as often, lately," Yusuke remarked. "Sounds like you two have been having a lot of dates. It's a hassle coming back to Genkai's every day. Have you been staying over at Kuwabara's lately?"

At the sight of Yusuke wiggling his eyebrows up and down, Yukina's face pinked dramatically. A memory of Sawamura, one of Kuwabara's closest friends from high school, popped into her head. At the time, she didn't know what Sawamura was implying when he teased her for the first time about her relationship with their orange-headed, fearless leader. This time, she knew better. Unfortunately.

Yusuke cleared his throat, "Er, sorry. I didn't mean it that way." Her abject silence and the frozen look of surprise and embarrassment made him feel bad at his inappropriate comment. She was not like Keiko and Botan, both of whom would shriek at his childish behavior.

Yukina shook her head, "No, it's okay. I am staying over his place." She paused and Yusuke could have sworn he saw the gears actively moving in her head as she processed his words. Slowly and concisely, she added, "He's very polite, and a gentleman about it."

"Sounds like you'd rather stay over there," Yusuke observed.

"I think so," she admitted, a pretty blush still painting her soft cheeks. "Once Genkai leaves..."

Yusuke chose not to answer once he realized Yukina trailed off. The shining sun brightening their tea room and the peaceful sound of trees swaying in the breeze couldn't mask the sensation of dread creeping into their scattered thoughts. A prized mentor. A loving elder who offered shelter from an unknown world and a harsh one. The thread that held the seams together of a patchwork quilt.

A breakthrough in the thick silence between the pair came in the form of excited chatter and laughter. The sound grew louder as the group huddled closely together started coming into view. Kurama led the pack, his hands in his pockets as he approached and a pleasing smile on his handsome face. Keiko and Kaito steadily walked behind him, trying to avoid swinging jabs and flurried kicks. Kuwabara, Kido, and Yana were roughhousing not too far behind. All three of them were clumsily walking while trying to show off some moves they learned at training.

Yusuke shot straight up and Yukina's eyes followed. She saw his shoulders relax and the same boundless energy he was known for now guided him to the loud ruckus of the boys engaged in a play fight. Yukina sighed audibly and managed to smile as the tension that shivered into her bones started to melt away.

A more relaxing figure slid into Yusuke's empty seat this time. The scent of roses and his gentle movements further helped ease the worry that set in her heart. Kurama smiled at Yukina and greeted her, "Did you have fun making lunch with Keiko, Yukina?"

Yukina nodded mutely with a stolid expression planting itself on her face. Kurama noted this in his mind and decided to ask further, but he couldn't help but lose focus once Keiko started yelling at the rowdy boys to either eat or take it elsewhere. The shouting match between Yusuke and Keiko that began would have silenced any words that Yukina had to say on the matter, anyway.

The two demons observed in silence as they watched the mad scramble between everyone. Keiko, the ever-reliable mother figure of the group, managed to open her target of focus beyond Yusuke. Kuwabara, Kido, Yana, and Kaito found themselves amid a strict lecture about hygiene and food etiquette before being pushed inside to wash up.

Kurama threw his hands up in the air to shrug when he noticed a few stink-eyes directed his way. He had been scouring over the foundation plans for the greenhouse while the rest of them were doing all the heavy lifting. As far as Keiko could tell, he was pristine and perfect and required no further pecking by the mother hen.

"Days like these, they won't last as long, will they?" Yukina murmured as the clamor died down temporarily. The group disappeared inside the other end of the house. The faint hum of their chatter still buzzed through the walls and down the hallway, enough sound to break through the peaceful tea room.

Kurama carefully regarded Yukina's probing and deep crimson eyes. The sadness in the tone of her voice betrayed the young woman's guarded demeanor. It was easy to tell that she was slightly distressed. "Did Yusuke say something to you?" Kurama asked gently.

Yukina shook her head, "No, it was probably me."

Kurama's eyebrows knitted together at her statement, "Perhaps you're under the wrong impression..."

"I was the one who said something terrible!" Yukina interrupted. Her frazzled nature was a far cry from her usual calmness. The impassive stare from the red-head only made her worries worsen. Without knowing how obvious it looked, she started to wring at the hem of her kimono sleeves.

Kurama allowed many silent moments to pass to allow her jitters to dissipate. At the sight of her relaxed shoulders and hands, he said with a simple smile, "I think you may be putting too much weight into your own words. It's easy to make that mistake when you start talking more with Yusuke."

Yukina pursed her lips together as she pieced together his words. Her mood almost lightened, but the heavy thoughts that plagued her mind did not relent. Although Kurama was a good listener and provided some insights, she wished for the deep comfort that Kuwabara's hug provided. Unfortunately, her gloominess darkened once she thought of how temporary it all was.

And just on cue, the raucous of their friends suddenly escaped the dense walls to the courtyard. Their sounds slowly grew louder as it approached the room. A panicked ice demon quickly shot Kurama a curious look but filled with apprehension at the same time.

"How do you deal with it then?" Yukina murmured. Her misty eyes met his, this time they held steady. "Kurama, you are as much demon as I am. How do you deal with the death of our human friends or family, when they live for so short a time compared to us?"

Kurama didn't look surprised or startled by this question. It had been a constant thought in his mind ever since his mother first got ill and he went on a mission with Gouki and Hiei to steal the three artifacts from the spirit world. With Yusuke's continuous denial of Genkai's impending fate, he idly wondered if his good friend held the same sentiments.

A few words echoed in his mind and never left its deep and bottomless chambers: _'I don't.'_

No other words were exchanged between the two demons once Kuwabara barrelled into the scene with loud proclamations of his love. Yukina felt no disappointment when an answer never came. Instead, she was filled with a sense of cathartic relief. The question is out in the open, and that was enough. No need for an answer. No need to seek one. Yukina quickly put on a serene smile as she watched Kuwabara swiftly take a seat right next to her. The sight of him is enough.

"I'm so glad you're here, Kazuma," Yukina breathed, mostly confident instead of shy.

"I worked hard so I could earn this delicious meal you cooked for us!" Kuwabara replied with a beaming smile.

"Make sure you leave some for the rest of us, " Yana moaned as he entered the room with Kaito and Kido close behind.

"Leave at least three with salmon," Kido added. The pair hovered over Kuwabara to reach for their share of the food. Kuwabara nudged Yukina away to separate her from the wriggling and lumbering masses.

Kuwabara flailed his arms above to swat pesky flies away, "Get off! I'm going to be the first one to eat, so get back in line!"

Yukina only fondly gazed at him with a laugh threatening to break.

The slight shower of affection between the couple would easily send any other individual into a fit of gags, but Kurama only focused his gaze to the sky and wondered when a bright-eyed spirit girl would finally make her way down to the human world. He started to wonder about the comfort of a close and loyal companionship that his two dear friends seemed to enjoy.

Yusuke entered the tea room after the four guys, hunching his shoulders and dragging his feet across. He makes his way to the deck outside to lie down and stare at each groove on the porch's roof. He made note of each small cobweb that may need to be cleared out. Or how there were a few large splinters in the wood that need to be cut and sanded out.

Keiko finally emerged from the hallway once Yusuke settled in. Both her hands full with more plates of rice balls. Always prepared. Always at attention. She squeezed her way across all the boys and triumphantly plopped the delicious treats on the table. Many happily dug into their food. Some took a more quiet respite, day-dreaming of many far away things.

* * *

"You're still here."

Kurama looked up from his notes to see a bespectacled young man looking rather stern. Kaito was short and to the point, but the fox could always catch the weight behind his words.

It was around four in the afternoon. After the group had their lunch, Kurama had stayed behind to take inventory of the remaining plants he left inside Genkai's main building and to make sure that the foundation they were setting was to his specifications. Time flew by, thankfully.

"I just wanted to make sure everything was going according to plan," Kurama coolly replied.

"I should have known," Kaito simply said with an easy-going smile. It was a natural one that Kurama was not used to yet. "I guess some good things can come out of dropping college or quitting your job. I don't mean to antagonize, by the way."

Kurama waved off his comment, "Don't worry about it. It has been aired out enough between family, friends, and especially myself. I'm glad to report that I think I've settled on my thoughts regarding this. At least for now."

"And?"

A pause.

It was a bit unexpected for Kaito to probe further. Even though this young man opened up more since high school, his eyes retained the sharpness in silent observation. Now with more experience and more confidence under his belt, Kaito felt bolder in getting close to his once revered rival.

The pause extended further as Kurama tried to understand why his old classmate was so curious. He always kept Kaito at arm's length during their more formal relations as students. But being stripped down from human society's expectations or ceremonies, Kurama felt more bare and open than usual.

"I'm happy," Kurama finally answered, but almost reluctantly, "And I think that's about it."

Kaito chuckled, "So you say."

A light rap of Kurama's finger against the table brought Kaito to the realization that his demon friend was slightly annoyed. Amusing, really. Scary as well. His unnerving thoughts were brought to an end when an outstretched hand gestured to the seat across. Kaito slid into his seat and settled in for their talk.

"You seem to have a lot on your mind," Kurama thickly said. "What would you like to know?"

Kaito scoffed, "Relax, Kurama. You don't have to keep on your toes in every conversation with me. As a friend, I only ask to help."

"Help," Kurama deadpanned.

A nod.

"And what is it you would like to help?" Kurama asked with slight suspicion still evident in his voice.

"The last time I talked to you before your long disappearance was when we both graduated high school. I remember that time too. You were dealing with demon world problems," Kaito said. His eyes watched his companion steadily. Unmoving and confident. "Allow me to be of assistance now, especially when it comes to human matters."

Kurama slightly smirked but hidden enough so that Kaito did not think twice about it. Although amused by his young human friend, Kurama evenly asked, "You think I'm in some sort of predicament right now?"

"I only assumed so when one quits college and then quits a job soon after," Kaito commented.

Kurama allowed for a short silence to pass and Kaito decided to accept it as a form of recognition from the fox. Perhaps Kurama found truth in those words, or maybe he was already closing the conversation between the two of them. Regardless, the dark-haired youth decided to push further.

"It was a surprise to hear it from Genkai at first. She asked me to speak to you. Then… Yui approached as well. She begged for me to speak to you," Kaito started laughing, "I kept thinking: they're asking the wrong person to do this job! In the end, you came back and I only came across you by chance."

Kaito could see the flash of recognition in Kurama's eyes when he mentioned their mutual classmate's name, but it was soon masked with humor. Kurama joined in Kaito's amusement, "I was surprised when I found you here training with everyone. I thought Genkai didn't want you to use your powers anymore."

"Change of heart? Or maybe she felt the human world needed to up their participation in spirit and demon world affairs, now that the barrier has been taken down," Kaito supposed. "I'm glad though. Some things can be hard to ignore for so long, especially if it's in our nature."

Kaito noticed the fox's gaze fixed directly towards him, but it also seemed to pass right through him. A tense atmosphere was what Kaito expected with this conversation. Instead, Kurama openly engaged in day-dreaming, absorbed in thoughts more interesting than his bespectacled companion.

Kurama always could maintain a constant stream of thoughts in his head while actively engaging in any outside forces. Today, he let many conversational points fall through the cracks. Today he had little to no answers.

"Do you think you'll go back?" Kaito questioned.

"Possibly," Kurama vaguely answered. "If it doesn't work out here."

"So you do have a plan," Kaito marveled. He spotted Kurama nodding quite happily and then placing two stacks of papers in front of him. One stack listed out all the plants currently being cultivated on these grounds. Another stack held reading materials to owning either a flower shop or apothecary. Kaito briefly scanned through all the documents and admired Kurama's new plans, "This makes sense. It suits you."

"Admittedly, Yusuke was influential," Kurama sheepishly mentioned.

"Hm… you know, at first, I always thought your friendship with him was odd, but I stand corrected," Kaito commented. "I can see why you've stuck around for so long."

A genuine smile graced the fox's face and Kaito decided not to press him any further. For the time being, he wanted to enjoy the amiable atmosphere that resulted from his statement. But the image of a thin, tall woman with a long curtain of black hair hung over his head, unfortunately. Her sharp brown eyes and scowling face the day she confronted him about Kurama brought a chill in his spine. Kaito will have to mention her again, and he'll have to push for acknowledgment lest he faces a scathing Yui Sato.

Kaito bit down his tongue for now. He peeked over at Kurama who went back to looking over the larger sheets of paper that contained the blueprints for the greenhouse. He seemed to be checking off bits and pieces of the foundation that were accomplished today, then he would unfurl other large sheets to plan what sections needed to be completed next. Kaito noted the fox's deftness in switching between each paper and each task as if the many months out of school and work barely bogged down his quick wit.

As Kurama poured over his work, Kaito looked at the stacks of paper that idly sat before him. He picked up a few papers in the large stack closest to him. These scribblings detailed a large list of plants that Kurama was tracking. With keen interest, Kaito took a closer look at the details. He closely scanned until coming upon a rather large category that prompted a surprised gasp, "You're cataloging demon plants."

A small nod came Kaito's only answer. After a few minutes of silence passed, Kaito further pursued the topic, "I was wondering why you were building your gardens here… does the spirit world know?"

Kurama looked up from his work and observed his companion with eyebrows furrowed rather deeply. He sighed, "Do you disapprove?"

"If it were someone else," Kaito mumbled. He then matched Kurama's sigh, "Well?"

"Yes, Botan knows," Kurama answered. Leave it to Kaito, asking the important questions that Yusuke or Kuwabara would fail to uncover. Kurama was not surprised or irritated. Rather, he waited and timed how long it would take for someone to dig in deeper.

Kaito snorted, "Not exactly a neutral party."

"I don't report to Koenma any longer. And as far as I'm concerned, Botan is a representative of the spirit world and she seems rather supportive," Kurama offered to defend his stance. Weak, as it may be.

"Of course she would be," Kaito pushed a finger to lift his glasses on his face.

"I'm not sure what you are expecting out of this line of conversation," Kurama almost brusquely shot back. "The barrier is down, yes, but do you think there are processes and groups in place to regulate how demons and people will go about their lives? If the spirit world wanted more control, they should have never taken down the barrier in the first place."

Kurama restrained his voice to tone down the hint of annoyance. He looked down again to look at the wall specifications that he outlined and started to make a list of the building materials for next time. The words "back wall frame" and "2x4" kept echoing in his head, occasionally putting his mind to a standstill every so often. The lack of focus started to become irritating, and it was that boy's fault.

"I suppose you have a point," Kaito conceded before he put off Kurama altogether. "But, eventually there will be. To be honest, I'm not sure how I feel about this barrier going down, but it's happening and some of us humans don't get to have a say in it. And if I were to take a guess, I'm pretty sure there are invasive demonic plant species. I wouldn't like to blame you if something bad happens."

"You think so?" Kurama idly asked, no longer paying too much attention to him. He kept his head down.

"I'm not sure if you're taking me lightly or not, but perhaps I should have a word with Botan," Kaito said, slightly miffed at Kurama's offhand comment.

"No need, Kaito," Kurama sharply answered. "I imagine all the interested parties already know. And if I were you… I would only focus on the affairs of humans. Getting into the politics and problems of our intertwined realms might get a little messy."

Instead of continuing the argument, Kaito pursed his lips into a deep frown and turned his attention to the stack of papers that held all the details for starting a business in town. He grabbed the papers and started looking more closely, "I can help consult you on starting a business if you'd like. I have a cousin who started one in town. It's a slow process, and I imagine you welcome all viewpoints"

Kurama didn't look up, "I would appreciate it."

The pair passed an hour or so in silence. Kaito would occasionally break it to bring up questions about Kurama's intentions. Much of how Kaito talked was to get back in the fox's good graces, and the latter started to catch onto the very placated tone that was adopted. Perhaps Kaito had more to object or maybe he was trying to get more information on something. Regardless, Kurama appreciated the company of a peer who spotted the smaller details and accounted for any holes in the plans being drawn up.

The day's early commotion quieted along with the sun dipping lower in the sky. As the small animals scampered back to their homes and the birds returned to their roost, a young woman with long brown hair also made her way back to the main building to check on any remaining stragglers of the group.

Kurama watched the young woman with a bag of tools in one hand and a large metal pail containing a half-used bag of concrete in the other. He swiftly got up as soon as he saw the sight.

"Kurama!" Keiko breathed out in relief as soon as he approached, "I was wondering where you were this whole time." She bowed her head in thanks as soon as the load lightened in her arms. Both climbed up on the porch and entered the tea room. Kaito nodded and gave her a warm smile as soon as she slid into one of the empty seats.

"Where are the others?" Kaito casually asked. He eyed the redhead exit to the hallway momentarily with all the tools and quickly return with nothing on hand.

"Yusuke went to check on Genkai. And I think Yukina went with him. I believe Kuwabara, Kido, and Yana went into the woods to investigate something," Keiko answered. "But only for a little bit… they said they sensed someone."

Kurama and Kaito looked at each other before turning back to the brunette. Keiko lifted her hands and waved both of them, trying to dismiss their worries before they escalated.

"They'll be back soon!" Keiko frantically provided. She saw how Kurama declined to take a seat after making her announcement. Rather, his head dipped low to get a better focus on his senses and he slowly moved to the entryway that led outside. She continued, "Kurama, they'll be back soon and I'm sure the three of them can handle it. I doubt it's anything serious, anyway. Perhaps it was just an animal- who knows."

Keiko's insistence paused Kurama's movement. He quickly glanced at his watch; it was ten minutes to six, and _she _would hopefully be arriving soon. While Keiko's words appeased him enough, the idea of his companion tonight stilled his alarmed mind. So he returned to his seat and made no further comment on the matter. But with two perceptive people in his presence now, the desire to remain quiet seemed to be a fool's hope.

"You seem to be checking the time because you need to leave soon," Kaito commented. "But seeing as you've settled in again… are you waiting for something?"

Keiko raised her eyebrows in wonder, "That's right, I thought you left a while back. Why are you hanging around still?"

Knowing his chances in slinking away from this conversation was probably zero, Kurama answered rather bluntly, "I thought Botan would be arriving a bit earlier. So I'm waiting."

"What for?" Keiko asked, her eyebrows now sinking deep in her forehead.

"I need her opinion on a few plants," Kurama quickly supplied. "Kaito thinks I'm being reckless by trying to cultivate several demonic plant species here, but I already have a plan for that. So there shouldn't be any more worries."

Kaito noticed the side-eye Kurama gave him, so he closed his mouth quickly after taking in a deep breath to provide a retort.

"And how can she help you," Keiko started slyly smirking. An interestingly demanding statement rather than an innocent question.

"I'm going to help her keep track of any unknown species for the logs. We all know old records should be kept up-to-date, and spirit world does have the oldest!" Kurama responded with a light tone, thus causing Keiko's already furrowed eyebrows to deepen.

Keiko's knowing expression worried Kurama, but the next words that came out helped slacken his tense shoulders. She held her nose a bit high in the air while she answered in a snippy manner, "Well, don't overwork her. She's busy enough as is, you know."

Kurama frowned, "Do you think I'm inconveniencing her?"

Kaito rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he observed the fox. He seemed genuinely worried, and even hesitant. Even though there was a certain trepidation in his tone and demeanor, Kurama actively searched Keiko's face for any negative signs. To Kurama's relief, Keiko gave him encouraging words, "Botan will always make room for you guys- even though the whole spirit detective group is not officially active anymore."

Kaito could have sworn if Keiko had said otherwise, Kurama would have been visibly shaken. How very telling. In his curious nature, Kaito cleared his throat and asked, "So… what about Yui?"

There was a momentary pause as the two boys watched their pretty companion shoot up from her slumped position and quiver as if filled to the brim with excitement waiting to spill out. The tamed beast that Kurama kept at bay awoke with a few simple words. Leaving when he had the chance seemed like the correct route apparently.

Keiko suddenly burst out laughing as soon as she saw her elegant and handsome friend make a shocked face that quickly morphed into an irritated grimace. Keiko supposed she rarely saw his calm demeanor being forced to break by an outward influence, so the sight caused humor and delight to seize her already buzzing emotions.

"And why ever would you bring _her_ up now? And again?" Kurama hissed.

Kaito took part in Keiko's joy as a chuckle escaped his mouth, "Sore spot, Kurama?"

"Yes, oh my, who are we talking about right now?" Keiko piped in before the fox could put an end to it.

"Yui was an old classmate during our senior year. As with all girls during our grade, she was quite smitten for our friend here," mused Kaito. "I gotta give it to her, though. She had more willpower compared to the rest of the girls. She put in a lot of effort to get into the same university as Kurama just so she could continue seeing him."

"Were they close?" Keiko gleefully asked. She eagerly leaned closer to Kaito, "Were they… _together_? Kurama never talks about these things."

'_With good reason,' _Kurama thought and he then sighed to calm himself, although the irritation settled in as Keiko and Kaito excitedly chattered as if he were not there.

"I'm not sure. I only saw Yui and Kurama together a couple of times in high school before we all left. So I only have to assume that might be the case since Yui came up to me a few weeks back," Kaito answered. "I was given the honor of being the classmate closest to Kurama. Yui came up to me not too long ago. She wanted me to convince Kurama about coming back to school, or at least tell him to contact her again. She was very convincing-"

"We were not close," Kurama cut in, "But we did talk on occasion..."

"You never really talked to many of our old classmates," Kaito noted.

"Well, she knows my mother."

There was a moment of complete understanding between all three of them. Kaito crossed his arms and nodded solemnly. Keiko uttered a small, "Aw!" and shot Kurama a very pleased smile. Kurama glanced between the two.

"Regardless, there's nothing else to be said on the matter. And if Yui bothers you again Kaito, I suggest you relay that message."

The quick closing of the conversation left a bitter taste in Keiko's mouth, especially when she had just realized why Kaito had brought Yui up when they were just discussing Botan. She made a small peep to protest his sudden rudeness, but Kurama's abrupt move to stand up silenced any further words. Keiko, with her mouth left hanging, gaped at the redhead who made his way to the porch.

"I apologize. I must step away for a bit. I'm a bit worried about the others, honestly," Kurama said. He bowed respectfully before gently sliding the door shut and taking his leave to search for Kuwabara, Kido, and Yana.

Keiko stared at the shut door, astounded by how fast this all occurred. After taking a few moments to register all that occurred, her head stiffly craned over to the young man who was fiddling with his glasses. The lenses were already clean and shining, but he repeatedly wiped his cloth around in circles for some time.

Irritation set in Keiko's face as she watched Kaito pretend to preoccupy himself. A slight bang against the table brought his attention to the steely stare of the imposing brunette.

"Kaito, did you push him too much?" Keiko innocently asked.

"Maybe," Kaito then paused before adding, "...but you helped push him to the edge." Kaito forced a light chuckle to indicate his joke. Instead of an open laugh between friends with a built-up good rapport, he was met with a glowering pair of fiery eyes.

Kaito used to liken himself to be the (second) genius of Meiou High School who held himself to high esteem and proper etiquette. Now as a simple university student breaking out into the world, he was reminded of his social inadequacy in this misstep with Keiko Yukimura, the embodiment of a strong-willed woman who would walk through fire for her loved ones. The rhythmic tapping of a dainty finger against the table and a puffed-up face ready to speak out once more helped Kaito further cement why this young woman will be the future wife of Yusuke Urameshi.

* * *

An amber glow lit up deep green eyes as it stared endlessly into the wide evening skies. The bustling fervor of today's activities and the luster of nature underneath a glistening sun now stolen away by the horizon as the sun dipped lower and lower. Kurama's stare was listless and apprehensive knowing that the day will soon make way for the dense darkness of night. She was just a little bit late. And yes, it did bug him.

To note, he has been uncharacteristically _bothered _the past few hours, not just by the notion of her but with everything and everyone else. And the idea of him being rather ill-tempered to his friends further drove him into a regretful and irritated state.

Did Koenma hold her back? Was there more work to be done? Perhaps she simply forgot. Or maybe the spirit world had different customs and viewpoints than the human world. On all accounts, Kurama found himself at a loss for a good answer. Not even the peace on his walk over to the greenhouse construction site could calm his buzzing mind.

Maybe Botan didn't take him seriously? A very viable idea, unfortunately. He had watched her closely when he asked for her company tonight. Botan's face was slightly amusing going through shades of embarrassment, surprise, delight, and even peeks of horror weaving through each emotion. Kurama suddenly laughed. Sure, the memory of her was such a simple joy to have, but it was also the ridiculous notion of Botan's "horror" that was probably a product of his imagination.

Maybe Kurama didn't take her seriously. If he were to admit it now, asking Botan to dinner was a very spontaneous action. He straddled between considering it a formal date or a simple meetup between friends. It was a simple ask that was derived out of the moment. No set plans in place.

Before delving further into the back and forth his mind was experiencing, Kurama's ears perked up at the murmurs of conversation as he drew closer to the greenhouse. The boisterous voices were owned by Kuwabara, Kido, and Yana. A more mute and deeper voice would occasionally pipe in, and its owner was unknown yet slightly familiar. The garbled voices of his three friends prevented him from further identifying the new guest, and the idea of that further agitated Kurama's already troubled mind.

Upon approaching the group closer, Kurama saw all three of his friends' backs and the pale white ghost of a figure peeking in between and above the group. A set of steely blue eyes of the newcomer would immediately meet his pair of emerald greens. The fast reaction of the newcomer was almost startling, but Kurama steadied himself and further furrowed his brows. What earned Kurama's surprise was how tall this new visitor appeared to be with his piercing eyes looming just above Kuwabara's orange pompadour.

"Ah, we have another friend of yours here, I assume," the newcomer called out as soon as the red-head stepped into the dimly lit area, courtesy of Yana's lantern. On that callout, Yana turned around and raised the lantern higher to confirm. Being met with a highly skeptical and begrudgingly amiable expression on the fox's face was not something Yana was used to, and Kido shot Yana a knowing look as he keyed into this as well.

"Oi, Kurama," Kuwabara greeted, without the slightest clue.

"Hello," Kurama lamely returned, offering no enthusiasm in this small welcoming committee for the new guest. He gave the visitor a pointed look, "Who do we have here?"

A concerned expression passed over the faces of Kuwabara, Kido, and Yana. The trio exchanged looks between each other before settling their eyes on their visitor who still held a serene composure. Catching the newcomer's relaxed smile, Kuwabara felt comfortable enough to push the topic, "I think this guy said he knows you. His name is Noboru. Does that sound familiar to you?"

The tall, lanky visitor with snowy white hair and steel blue eyes swiftly bowed, "I wouldn't blame you for not remembering me, I am quite forgettable. In fact, I believe I was a bit pushy when we first met roughly a year ago."

A reluctance tinged Kurama's tone as he held this visitor's steady gaze. He flatly responded, "You're right, I'm afraid I can't recall anything about you during that time. So why are you here today?"

Kuwabara sidled up to Kurama. He elbowed him slightly and gently asked him under his breath, "Uh, are we sure we want to antagonize him this much?"

Yana and Kido suddenly tossed a few laughs into the mix as soon as they felt a bit of tension settle into this little meeting they had. "We just had a pretty tiring day. Earlier we were trying to finish up a new building on the compound and we had a couple more visitors pass by as well," Kido shared, at least to distract Noboru from the growing unrest.

"And welcoming each and everyone shouldn't be made a habit," Kurama sternly cut through the chatter. Kuwabara knit his eyebrows together, ready to refute those words.

Kurama stepped closer to Noboru, who kept his peaceful countenance throughout the exchange. The eerie stillness of this lanky, pale man's face seamlessly passed under the radar of the three human's suspicions. But one wily fox demon with years and years of experience would hone in on this and easily find fault with this characteristic. One the fox demon knew too well.

The group settled into silence as they took in those curt, honest words. None had a proper response. Kurama cleared his throat, as if to clear the air, "I'm sorry, Noboru, but it's getting late. And frankly, we would prefer it if you visit us at a better time."

"I'm sorry, I meant to come earlier," Noboru attempted to placate, "You know how the demon world is nowadays."

Kuwabara nodded solemnly, "A spike in violence lately. At the border of human world and demon world."

''And are saying you got caught up in those fights?" Kurama questioned. Hiei had mentioned the recent upturn in violent skirmishes in the demon world lately, but most of those have been due to his team's efforts in preventing demons with ill intent on crossing over.

'It"s not just that," Noboru added, his tone significantly lower and concerned, "I've seen more and more humans being brought back and forth. Demons too. Many groups being brought over against their will. It used to be easier to manage, but with a seemingly infinite point of access now…"

"They can do it more freely and without heavy consequences," Kido finished, his tone dark. Scathing even, believing the human world had no say in it.

Noboru nodded with an almost wondrous glint appearing in his steel blue orbs. "Amazing, isn't it? How a single decision from another world has deadly repercussions in two. And we talk as if the human and demon worlds are the two most interesting realms…"

A hateful laugh bellowed from the icy demon. A laugh that beckoned reluctant agreement from Kido and Yana. A laugh that almost made Kuwabara react negatively in defiance. A laugh that prodded Kurama to question his own belief for a mere second.

But Kurama could not delve deeper into his thoughts on the matter. Instead, he spotted those steel-blue eyes target something in the night sky and track the moving object from one corner of the eye to another.

_She_ was here. He felt her presence darting faster and faster towards the earth. Closer to Genkai's compound. A frantically moving target that shot down from spirit world into human world. And this visitor had caught it and watched with a growing interest in his eyes.

"Get rid of him," Kurama uttered in a very low voice to Kuwabara. The sharp and urgent tone startled the orange-headed man once more into even more complete surprise and bewilderment than when the fox demon first approached with a sour smile. Before another word of protest or a blink of an eye, Kurama swiftly left the group and left in his wake silenced friends and a single visitor with a peaceful smile.

Before Kuwabara could let any more tension settle into the group, he turned to Noboru with a sheepish smile, "I don't suppose you have somewhere to go tonight? Y'know, like Kurama said, maybe you can visit us in the morning?"

* * *

To say that a lovely young brunette and a stern, dark-haired man sat in comfortable silence while the whole group was away would not be totally accurate. There were long stretches where Keiko kept hopping around the room as tried cleaning, organizing scattered books or random knick-knacks, and bringing in a new batch of hot tea and snacks whenever it ran out between the two of them.

Kaito, in the meanwhile, tried to not occupy himself with wondering about Keiko's sudden eager activity. Kurama's detailed plans kept his worrying thoughts at bay. Admittedly, it was hard to marvel at the current plans for the build-out of their greenhouse, but as soon as Keiko sat down across the table and gave him a pleasant smile he felt his mind relax.

They sat in relative peace together. Keiko would occasionally ask about a certain detail she did not know about. Kaito would enthusiastically explain the topic, hopeful to get in someone's good graces tonight. To get closer to the ex-detective group was one of his goals, and it went in and out of success depending on the occasion.

The arrival of a young woman with flowing cerulean locks on this night helped lighten the mood of the room tremendously.

"Botan!" Keiko gleefully exclaimed as the tatami door slid open to reveal the beautiful young spirit woman in her signature light pink kimono and high ponytail. The brunette hopped up and immediately swooped in for a hug before any response was made.

Botan savored the comfort of her friend before pulling away to take a quick survey of the room. Noting a flash of light reflecting off glasses, she offered a wide smile and a small bow, "Hello, Kaito!"

Kaito stood up abruptly in response and returned the slight bow, "It has been a while, Botan."

Botan shot up both hands and shook it slightly, "Oh, please, don't mind me. I won't be here long, I think. I'm supposed to meet with Kurama and I don't want to keep him waiting any longer. You don't know how much trouble I went through with Koenma to be here..."

Keiko looked upon her in wonder, "...meet Kurama, huh!" She had to repeat this out loud again, and it was the only idea that fueled the gears in her mind. When Kurama first initially mentioned it, Keiko didn't really understand the full ramifications of it. Seeing this lovely young woman standing before her with a flushed face and a shy expression only further pushed Keiko to fully confirm the suspicions in her head.

There was a slight embarrassed expression that appeared on Botan's face. As if she was caught red-headed under Keiko's scrutinous eyes.

"Are you here to consult him about the greenhouse? His plants?" Kaito questioned.

Botan paused for a moment in surprise before answering, "If that's what he wants to do tonight."

"What did you guys mean to do?" Keiko quickly asked before Kaito could get another word in.

"Um," Botan paused again, this time in apprehension. The growing twinkle in her friend's eyes only succeeded in her heart seizing up in confusion and excitement. The next answer would probably let the floodgates open, and Botan was not certain she had a boat big enough to withstand what would happen next.

And yet with all the signs in her heart and mind telling her to slow down and stop, Botan simply answered, "Dinner."

That was it. It was a simple word that would define the next year or so of Botan's relationship with Keiko. Regardless of the denial and excuses, the deity would try to knock into her senses.

The brunette's eyes shone with so much hope and trill that each occupant in the room could tell she was concocting up ideas and scenarios in that excited mind of hers. Kaito didn't need to even see her eyes to know, her back quivered so much that it didn't take much imagination to concoct the image in his mind.

"So why did you wear this again?" Keiko started. "Didn't I get you a few new kimonos? Or just semi-formal wear?"

"I don't know, I just reached for it today and work was getting a bit loaded. It was getting late so I didn't get the chance to change. So I…" Botan then gestured to her outfit and then shrugged. "Does it matter?"

"Yes!" Keiko answered quite fiercely.

A red hue painted across Botan's face with equal fervor. Confused amethyst eyes avoided her friend's heated stare and laid upon the silent observer just behind Keiko. Even he nodded.

"There's no point in acting daft about it at this point," Keiko with a sigh and a shrug of her shoulders. "This is a date!" she then exuberantly exclaimed, "A date! Between both of my friends, yes. This makes sense!"

"I wouldn't jump to that conclusion, Keiko," Botan countered with an embarrassed laugh.

"You wouldn't jump to that conclusion," Keiko deadpanned in disbelief.

"I would suppose the context and language would be important here as well," Kaito piped in with his opinion, one that Botan welcomed a bit more.

Although, if she were honest, perhaps there was some hint of… whatever _that_ was. Or maybe those fluttering feelings at that time just obscured the actual reality of the situation? Botan shook her head to clear the intruding thoughts away.

If anything, it's simply better not to entertain those thoughts at all. The only clear idea she could understand at the moment was the simple _joy_ she felt being around him again. That was enough, right?

"Do you know where he is right now?" Botan asked, hoping to get out and away from Keiko's burgeoning insistence.

"I believe he went to check on Kuwabara and the others out towards the greenhouse area. A bit towards the forest," Kaito answered, "I'm not sure when they will be returning since they seem to be looking into some disturbance."

"Thank you, Kaito," Botan said with another small bow towards him. She then squeezed Keiko's shoulders gently and looked at her apologetically before taking her leave of the room.

Before sliding the tatami doors shut, Botan heard a faint female voice cry out, "But your clothes…!" And with that, she swiftly made her way to the porch and onto the darkened walkways of the temple's gardens.

Botan tracked little distance before slamming into a slender yet steady frame of a young man. His hands had knowingly reached out to her shoulders to lessen the impact of the quick and tiny thing that collided into him.

"Good evening Botan," Kurama mustered a cheerful enough greeting as he looked down upon her. "I'm glad you didn't stay too long in there."

"K-Kurama!" Botan meekly squeaked. She instinctively gripped his torso and pulled him closer under the cover of darkness. Only dim lamps lit the walkways and around the temple at this time of night, and she still felt rattled by the abrupt surprise. "I'm sorry I didn't realize…"

"No, forgive me," Kurama interrupted, equally pulling her closer to him, but only subtly and slightly. He made sure not to unsettle her with how close they became. "I didn't mean to be so secretive. I hope I didn't alarm you too much. I didn't want an audience, to be honest."

A quiet pause settled between the two. Both were acutely aware of the position they were in. After a few more dragging seconds, Kurama finally loosened his grasp and gently pushed Botan away to get a better look at her soft and flushed face. Her plump lips formed an 'o' and her eyes widened in a slightly panicked state.

"Koenma held me up," Botan started when she finally found where her mind dropped. "I'm sorry too. He just kept asking me about the new reports or nagging me about the new ferry girls. He just doesn't know when to stop!"

A joyous smile lit up her face when she added, "I managed to give him the slip. You would be proud!"

Kurama wanted to take part in her triumph. It was infectious, endearing- too much for him to handle, especially with what he needed to do next. So he closed his mind and stared at her with somber eyes.

"Do you need more time to work, then? It might be important to be there right now."

Botan squinted her eyes slightly. She felt the warmth of his body gradually fading away as he moved into a more appropriate spot between two friends. His voice was quieter and colder as well. "Not necessarily," she answered, slight disappointment edging her tone.

A sigh escaped Kurama's lips. Another pause settled in between the two, this time more awkward and uncertain. Botan tried to examine him in the dim glow. His eyes were hard to discern, but she saw the thin line of stress his mouth formed into.

"Then I must apologize and get to the point… tonight might not be the best for dinner," Kurama said, and with a little more urgency he added, "Please understand."

"I'm not sure…" Botan weakly answered as she tried not to feel the full force of disappointment grip her mood.

"It's simply not the best time and something has come up," Kurama restated. "Please, I would rather have you go back. Now."

"I can help, maybe," Botan offered with a light laugh.

"Maybe," Kurama nodded, but rather dismissively. "But I'm not sure about the situation myself."

"A little brainstorming can do us some good. I like to think I've been helpful in the past," Botan continued while tapping the side of her head.

Kurama smiled but shook his head, "You have been, yes, but on this occasion, I think it might be best left for another day."

At this point, she was talking to a wall. Unmovable and set-in-its-ways. This usually happens when Kurama makes up his mind.

Botan looked away to hide the peeved expression now working its way to her face. Kurama noticed, but opted to stay silent before any other words would further upset her.

Kurama had an inkling of the idea that silence sometimes would turn out to be a very loud thing. Deafening. Often the last answer anyone would hope to hear, and often the right answer that needs to be made.

Botan, while regarded as the chatty one of the group, also knows the time and place for silence. And perhaps, this moment wasn't the right time for it on her part. So she just grasped a hand near her heart, trying to support the fast beating thumps that pounded against her chest.

"You know, these are the moments, Kurama," Botan murmured, but loud enough to hope he hears. "It's times like these when I think you can be a real jerk."

A slight irritation crossed Kurama, but there was truth in her statement that he couldn't deny. She just doesn't know. She was being impatient. He'll take care of it. It was for the best. All the reinforcing statements he would tell himself every time some unexpected and foreboding event presented itself, especially when it could potentially target the most important people in his life.

"I-I'm…" Botan then trailed off. _I'm_ _sorry._ But the words held onto itself, refusing to spill out of her mouth. She felt hurt, and she wanted to let him know. At the same time, she regretted the choice of words that she used to express that frustration.

Botan stepped further away and materialized the oar in her hand. Deftly hopping on, the spirit guide shot him a strained smile while she settled on top. Whether or not he was upset by this sudden cancellation in plans or the words that were shot at him, she could not tell in the darkness of night.

"I'll be a bit busy for a while," Botan called out as she slowly floated away. "But I hope when I come back, we can spend some time together."

Kurama watched her flowing form grow smaller in the deep dark blue expanse. He had half a mind to grab his whip, leap as far into the air, and hopefully snag her back. Whether he would do it out of desperation to be close or frustration by her lack of foresight, he did not care to find out.

Instead, Kurama's senses picked up on _four _individuals closing in on the main building of the compound and he cursed those three for doing exactly what he didn't want them to do. So he set off to meet them once more. Entering back into the dark blanket of the forest, Kurama started to truly feel the chill of evening settling in.


End file.
